7 VA Schools Among 2025 Best Colleges, Universities In US: New Survey

VIRGINIA — Seven Virginia post-secondary institutions are named among the 2025 top colleges and universities in the U.S. in WalletHub's latest ranking.

The personal finance agency released its report Monday and said Washington and Lee University is the 18th-best college or university in the nation. The Lexington school bested hundreds of post-secondary institutions.

WalletHub ranked at least 800 colleges and universities, analyzing 30 measures regarding student selectivity, cost and financing and career outcomes. The agency said metrics included student-faculty ratios, graduation rates and post-attendance median salaries.

Attending college may be costly for some people. According to WalletHub, a four-year college could cost a student $28,000-$60,000 for annual tuition and room and board.

“In general, universities tend to rank higher than colleges due to their inclusion of graduate-level programs, greater on-campus opportunities and higher earnings for students post-graduation," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in the report. "In fact, the top 10 places for higher education in the U.S. are all universities. There are still tons of high-ranking colleges, though, which offer their own advantages like smaller class sizes, more personalized learning and often safer campuses.”

Per WalletHub, these seven Virginia colleges and universities scored the following:

Washington and Lee University, No. 18, Lexington

• Total Score: 74.49
• Student Selectivity Rank: 44
• Cost and Financing Rank: 761
• Faculty Resources Rank: 8
• Campus Safety Rank: 608
• Campus Experience Rank: 94
• Education Outcomes Rank: 12
• Career Outcomes Rank: 25

University of Virginia, No. 44, Charlottesville

• Total Score: 71.02
• Student Selectivity Rank: 40
• Cost and Financing Rank: 732
• Faculty Resources Rank: 492
• Campus Safety Rank: 649
• Campus Experience Rank: 325
• Education Outcomes Rank: 11
• Career Outcomes Rank: 49

University of Richmond, No. 48, Richmond

• Total Score: 70.37
• Student Selectivity Rank: 62
• Cost and Financing Rank: 771
• Faculty Resources Rank: 22
• Campus Safety Rank: 524
• Campus Experience Rank: 84
• Education Outcomes Rank: 66
• Career Outcomes Rank: 47

College of William and Mary, No. 71, Williamsburg

• Total Score: 67.74
• Student Selectivity Rank: 66
• Cost and Financing Rank: 710
• Faculty Resources Rank: 402
• Campus Safety Rank: 76
• Campus Experience Rank: 276
• Education Outcomes Rank: 46
• Career Outcomes Rank: 199

Virginia Military Institute, No. 134, Lexington City

• Total Score: 62.85
• Student Selectivity Rank: 134
• Cost and Financing Rank: 669
• Faculty Resources Rank: 740
• Campus Safety Rank: 79
• Campus Experience Rank: 451
• Education Outcomes Rank: 78
• Career Outcomes Rank: 67

Virginia Tech, No. 140, Blacksburg

• Total Score: 63.03
• Student Selectivity Rank: 551
• Cost and Financing Rank: 462
• Faculty Resources Rank: 37
• Campus Safety Rank: 679
• Campus Experience Rank: 120
• Education Outcomes Rank: 161
• Career Outcomes Rank: 36

Hampden-Sydney College, No. 151, Hampden-Sydney

• Total Score: 62.12
• Student Selectivity Rank: 193
• Cost and Financing Rank: 544
• Faculty Resources Rank: 33
• Campus Safety Rank: 749
• Campus Experience Rank: 266
• Education Outcomes Rank: 408
• Career Outcomes Rank: 126

Solely among U.S. universities, Washington and Lee ranks 17th. Virginia Military Institute is No. 34 only among the best colleges.

Southern Virginia University has the highest admission rate, WalletHub said. The Buena Vista school had a 99 percent acceptance rate, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Regionally, Rice University in Texas is the best institution, with an overall score of 77.19. Georgia Tech is second best. Emory University and Georgia State are 13th and 14th best, respectively.

Here are the top 10 colleges and universities in the U.S.:

1. Princeton University, New Jersey
2. Yale University, Connecticut
3. Harvard University, Massachusetts
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts
5. Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
6. Rice University, Texas
7. California Institute of Technology, California
8. Carnegie Mellon University, Pennsylvania
9. Northwestern University, Illinois
10. Johns Hopkins University, Maryland

Here are the top 10 colleges and universities in the South:

1. Rice University, Texas
2. Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia
3. Duke University, North Carolina
4. Washington and Lee University, Virginia
5. University of Florida, Florida
6. Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina
8. University of Virginia, Virginia
9. University of Richmond, Virginia
10. Florida State University, Florida

See the full lists via WalletHub.