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  • These 3 Virginia Colleges Made the 2026 ‘U.S. News & World Report’ Top 100 List
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These 3 Virginia Colleges Made the 2026 ‘U.S. News & World Report’ Top 100 List

See how the commonwealth’s schools stacked up this year.

By Debbie Williams September 23, 2025 at 10:56 am

Three Virginia schools have landed in U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the nation’s top 100 colleges and universities.

The University of Virginia is the top rated in the state at No. 26 on the list. Though it fell two spots from last year, UVA also scored the No. 4 spot for top public schools.

Virginia Tech ranked the same as last year, at No. 51. William & Mary tied with Virginia Tech at the No. 51 spot, up from No. 54 last year.

George Mason University dropped eight spots to No. 117. However, it was ranked as the top school in the DC area for social mobility. It was also named the fifth best Virginia school in terms of value, behind UVA, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Tech, and William & Mary.

Other Virginia schools that ranked in the top 300 include VCU at No. 139; James Madison University at No. 151; Hampton University and Marymount, both at No. 273; and Old Dominion University at No. 293.

Washington and Lee University rated as the top Virginia school for liberal arts at No. 21 nationally, followed by University of Richmond at No. 22.

The Top 10

Ivy schools dominated the top three spots on the list. Princeton University cinched the No. 1 spot, followed by Harvard at No. 2 and Yale at No. 3.

The rest of the top 10 schools included:

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology at No. 4
  • Rice University at No. 5
  • California Institute of Technology at No. 6
  • Vanderbilt University at No. 7
  • University of Chicago at No. 8
  • Dartmouth College at No. 9
  • Stanford University at No. 10

Feature image of the University of Virginia, Bram/stock.adobe.com

Debbie Williams

Debbie Williams

Senior Editor

Northern Virginia Magazine Senior Editor Debbie Williams is a George Mason University graduate and longtime NoVA resident. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for a variety of nonprofit, lifestyle, and government publications, including for AARP.org and USA TODAY magazines.

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