# Best Engineering Colleges in Virginia

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-05-31 | Schools: 11 | Category: By State
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-engineering-virginia

## Methodology

Engineering programs in Virginia ranked by outcomes and program concentration

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university) | Blacksburg, VA | 86% | $81,698 | $24,953 | $21,500 | 0.26x |
| 2 | [Virginia Military Institute](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/virginia-military-institute) | Lexington, VA | 79% | $77,369 | $17,113 | $22,996 | 0.3x |
| 3 | [Washington and Lee University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/washington-and-lee-university) | Lexington, VA | 94% | $94,810 | $23,781 | $19,500 | 0.21x |
| 4 | [George Mason University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/george-mason-university) | Fairfax, VA | 69% | $76,343 | $17,915 | $19,500 | 0.26x |
| 5 | [University of Virginia-Main Campus](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-virginia-main-campus) | Charlottesville, VA | 95% | $86,863 | $21,565 | $17,500 | 0.2x |
| 6 | [Sweet Briar College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/sweet-briar-college) | Sweet Briar, VA | 50% | $51,943 | $17,758 | $27,000 | 0.52x |
| 7 | [Old Dominion University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/old-dominion-university) | Norfolk, VA | 45% | $54,914 | $14,638 | $24,000 | 0.44x |
| 8 | [Virginia Commonwealth University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/virginia-commonwealth-university) | Richmond, VA | 64% | $58,128 | $23,433 | $21,500 | 0.37x |
| 9 | [Northern Virginia Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northern-virginia-community-college) | Annandale, VA | 35% | $53,557 | $9,919 | $11,000 | 0.21x |
| 10 | [Hampton University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/hampton-university) | Hampton, VA | 56% | $59,159 | $25,319 | $25,442 | 0.43x |
| 11 | [Randolph-Macon College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/randolph-macon-college) | Ashland, VA | 72% | $58,448 | $27,866 | $27,000 | 0.46x |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Best Engineering Colleges in Virginia." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-05-31. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-engineering-virginia

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.