Anonymous
05/07/2026 18:00
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
Anonymous wrote:I have kids graduating from college and high school senior graduating and...you need to know your kid's major and minor before anyone can possibly answer this question. Believe it or not, schools are good at different things. You need to know what your kid wants to do before you ask which school.
OP's post is ridiculous but this is NOT true.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 17:52
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
I have kids graduating from college and high school senior graduating and...you need to know your kid's major and minor before anyone can possibly answer this question. Believe it or not, schools are good at different things. You need to know what your kid wants to do before you ask which school.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 17:44
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
The College Board's website is just one example of a site (use to anyway) where you can mark certain criteria (all Virginia colleges, for example) and then generate lists. You could choose ascending or descending order. Maybe you want to know: number of undergraduates, demographic make-up, % of full time students, % of students living on campus, % of students participating in greek life, % graduating within 6 years (4 years is ideal but they may only list 6 years), % that return after freshmen year.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 17:43
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
Start by looking at the SCHEV report average gpa and SAT for each school. You should have some idea where your kid falls in the mix and can cut some of them out.
https://research.schev.edu/enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp
https://research.schev.edu/enrollment/B10_FreshmenProfile.asp
Anonymous
05/07/2026 17:20
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
HA! Op, start looking up The Common Data Set on each one.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 16:46
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
Anonymous wrote:You literally just listed every public college in Virginia. There’s no way your kid is interested in every one of these schools. They don’t have preference for small versus large, whether or not they have D1 sports, city/rural?
No she listed every single college in the state both private and public which is even more ridiculous.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 16:42
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
Anonymous wrote:New to this board. We are Virginia residents; AA so HBCU also under consideration
1. What surprised you most about any of the following schools?
2. What advice or areas would you encourage a family to more deeply explore when it comes to a specific school below:
Four Year Colleges and Universities in Virginia:
Averett College
Bluefield College
Bridgewater College
Christendom College
Christopher Newport University
College of William and Mary
Eastern Mennonite University
Emory & Henry College
Ferrum College
George Mason University
Hampton University
Hollins University
James Madison University
Jefferson College of Health Sciences (now Radford University Carilion)
Liberty University
Longwood University
Lynchburg College
Mary Baldwin University(previously Mary Baldwin College)
Marymount University
Norfolk State University
Old Dominion University
Patrick Henry College
Radford University
Radford University Carilion (previously Jefferson College of Health Sciences)
Randolph-Macon College
Randolph College
Regent University
Roanoke College
Southern Virginia University
Shenandoah University
Sweet Briar College
University of Mary Washington
University of Richmond
University of Virginia
University of Virginia-College at Wise
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia State University
Virginia Tech
Virginia Union University
Virginia Wesleyan University (previously Virginia Wesleyan College; to become Batten University)
Washington and Lee University
Overall —
Tell me what you wished you had known while your child was researching colleges. Undecided major at the moment.
Wait a second, there are universities other than UVA in VA? Are you sure? Reading this forum would lead you to believe that UVA is the ONLY one. Good for you to find a very long list amazing.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 16:20
Subject: Re:Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
Sorry, but this post is ridiculous.
You have to actually do some work and start to narrow the list down yourself. You can’t narrow down the list based on random people on the internet.
Does your kid want to be in a city? The answer will rule out a bunch of these schools. For example, if the answer is no, VCU can be crossed off immediately.
What size do they want? Again, that will eliminate a bunch of schools. A kid who wants a small school won’t like VCU, VT, UVA, ODU, Mason or JMU.
Do they want Greek life? Sports? Religious affiliation? Military affiliation? If they don’t know, then visit a few schools to get a feel.
Also, look at admissions statistics. You’ve got some schools on this list that are really hard to get into, and some that admit almost anyone. Kids who have a shot at UVA aren’t applying to Bluefield, EMU, etc. So look at your child’s stats and the school’s stats to see where they have a reasonable chance of getting in and narrow the list accordingly.
There are so many differences between these schools. Your child must have some opinions that shorten this list.
You have to actually do some work and start to narrow the list down yourself. You can’t narrow down the list based on random people on the internet.
Does your kid want to be in a city? The answer will rule out a bunch of these schools. For example, if the answer is no, VCU can be crossed off immediately.
What size do they want? Again, that will eliminate a bunch of schools. A kid who wants a small school won’t like VCU, VT, UVA, ODU, Mason or JMU.
Do they want Greek life? Sports? Religious affiliation? Military affiliation? If they don’t know, then visit a few schools to get a feel.
Also, look at admissions statistics. You’ve got some schools on this list that are really hard to get into, and some that admit almost anyone. Kids who have a shot at UVA aren’t applying to Bluefield, EMU, etc. So look at your child’s stats and the school’s stats to see where they have a reasonable chance of getting in and narrow the list accordingly.
There are so many differences between these schools. Your child must have some opinions that shorten this list.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 15:24
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
I don't have direct experience with it, but every time I've heard someone talk about the University of Mary Washington, it's been extremely positive.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 15:18
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
I've heard great things about Randolph Macon. Happy students, close personal attention, and real academics but very supportive. It's very small, but if that doesn't bother your student then it could be a good choice.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 15:12
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
That is too big of a list.
Has your student narrowed down at least a little what type of school they want to go to? Size? Vibe? potential majors?
My advice: visit several different types of schools so your kid can start to get a feel. Larger public, smaller public, smaller private, larger private, though none of Virginia’s private colleges are huge.
Also, don’t assume public is cheaper.
After aid, they can be comparable or even less than what you may pay at a public. That was the case for us.
Since you list private schools, is there a particular reason why it is limited to Virginia?
Has your student narrowed down at least a little what type of school they want to go to? Size? Vibe? potential majors?
My advice: visit several different types of schools so your kid can start to get a feel. Larger public, smaller public, smaller private, larger private, though none of Virginia’s private colleges are huge.
Also, don’t assume public is cheaper.
After aid, they can be comparable or even less than what you may pay at a public. That was the case for us.
Since you list private schools, is there a particular reason why it is limited to Virginia?
Anonymous
05/07/2026 14:57
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
Step one really is to figure out what the student wants to study -- if not a specific major than at least some general notion.
Most of those schools are fine for humanities or social sciences. Not all will be good for physical sciences (Chem, Bio, Physics). A small number will have engineering programs.
Contrived Example: if the student wants some sort of engineering, that by itself shortens the list by a lot.
Most of those schools are fine for humanities or social sciences. Not all will be good for physical sciences (Chem, Bio, Physics). A small number will have engineering programs.
Contrived Example: if the student wants some sort of engineering, that by itself shortens the list by a lot.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 14:51
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
Random strangers cannot narrow the list for you.
We looked by SAT range pre-test optional and compared them to the T15 privates we were really targeting and only applied to the top two (UVA, W&M) as a backup. End of discussion for us, focus became fits OOS that were tops for stats or right under that level, as matches, to provide the right environment.
Our neighbor had a kid who needed to be among the very top at college for fit reasons and a bad high school experience, and wanted a smaller school. UVA, WM, VT were off the list right away.
They have thrived at Longwood!
Every family is different.
We looked by SAT range pre-test optional and compared them to the T15 privates we were really targeting and only applied to the top two (UVA, W&M) as a backup. End of discussion for us, focus became fits OOS that were tops for stats or right under that level, as matches, to provide the right environment.
Our neighbor had a kid who needed to be among the very top at college for fit reasons and a bad high school experience, and wanted a smaller school. UVA, WM, VT were off the list right away.
They have thrived at Longwood!
Every family is different.
Anonymous
05/07/2026 14:45
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
You literally just listed every public college in Virginia. There’s no way your kid is interested in every one of these schools. They don’t have preference for small versus large, whether or not they have D1 sports, city/rural?
Anonymous
05/07/2026 14:41
Subject: Virginia’s Colleges and Universities
New to this board. We are Virginia residents; AA so HBCU also under consideration
1. What surprised you most about any of the following schools?
2. What advice or areas would you encourage a family to more deeply explore when it comes to a specific school below:
Four Year Colleges and Universities in Virginia:
Averett College
Bluefield College
Bridgewater College
Christendom College
Christopher Newport University
College of William and Mary
Eastern Mennonite University
Emory & Henry College
Ferrum College
George Mason University
Hampton University
Hollins University
James Madison University
Jefferson College of Health Sciences (now Radford University Carilion)
Liberty University
Longwood University
Lynchburg College
Mary Baldwin University(previously Mary Baldwin College)
Marymount University
Norfolk State University
Old Dominion University
Patrick Henry College
Radford University
Radford University Carilion (previously Jefferson College of Health Sciences)
Randolph-Macon College
Randolph College
Regent University
Roanoke College
Southern Virginia University
Shenandoah University
Sweet Briar College
University of Mary Washington
University of Richmond
University of Virginia
University of Virginia-College at Wise
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia State University
Virginia Tech
Virginia Union University
Virginia Wesleyan University (previously Virginia Wesleyan College; to become Batten University)
Washington and Lee University
Overall —
Tell me what you wished you had known while your child was researching colleges. Undecided major at the moment.
1. What surprised you most about any of the following schools?
2. What advice or areas would you encourage a family to more deeply explore when it comes to a specific school below:
Four Year Colleges and Universities in Virginia:
Averett College
Bluefield College
Bridgewater College
Christendom College
Christopher Newport University
College of William and Mary
Eastern Mennonite University
Emory & Henry College
Ferrum College
George Mason University
Hampton University
Hollins University
James Madison University
Jefferson College of Health Sciences (now Radford University Carilion)
Liberty University
Longwood University
Lynchburg College
Mary Baldwin University(previously Mary Baldwin College)
Marymount University
Norfolk State University
Old Dominion University
Patrick Henry College
Radford University
Radford University Carilion (previously Jefferson College of Health Sciences)
Randolph-Macon College
Randolph College
Regent University
Roanoke College
Southern Virginia University
Shenandoah University
Sweet Briar College
University of Mary Washington
University of Richmond
University of Virginia
University of Virginia-College at Wise
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Military Institute
Virginia State University
Virginia Tech
Virginia Union University
Virginia Wesleyan University (previously Virginia Wesleyan College; to become Batten University)
Washington and Lee University
Overall —
Tell me what you wished you had known while your child was researching colleges. Undecided major at the moment.