Time magazine has released its annual list of America’s best colleges for the 2026-2027 school year. And several Virginia institutions have made the list.
For each college on the list, Time awarded a final score on a 100-point scale. The categories included student outcomes such as graduation rate and post-graduation earnings. Learning environment factors included student-to-teacher ratios and demographic diversity. It also factored in the schools’ overall attractiveness to students.
Virginia Colleges
The top-ranking college in Virginia was the University of Virginia, which landed at No. 14 overall. It was the second-highest public university on the list.
UVA had an overall rating of 89.99, with a score of 94.42 for student outcomes, 64.31 for learning environment, and 95.33 for attractiveness.
Other Virginia universities included in the top 100 were Washington & Lee University at No. 49 and William & Mary at No. 52. Virginia Tech was ranked No. 55 and the Virginia Military Institute No. 73.
James Madison landed at No. 153. Hampden-Sydney College was at No. 303. George Mason University was at No. 350.
Methodology
This year’s list prioritizes educational return on investment, particularly amid more competitive job markets and rising tuition costs. Time partnered with data research firm Statista to rank the colleges that “excel at student outcomes, learning environment, and attractiveness to students.”
The rankings are based on specific criteria, including that the schools must be federally recognized, primarily a four-year institution, and have at least 750 undergraduate students enrolled.
Top of the List
At the top of the list was Stanford University, for which Time notes a strong startup culture and connection to Silicon Valley. It had a student outcome score of 95.21, a learning environment score of 99.82, and an attractiveness score of 99.75.
MIT, “a patent powerhouse,” was No. 2, followed by Harvey Mudd, a small liberal arts college.
Feature image of UVA, stock.adobe.com
