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by our College Data Analytics Team
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22Colleges
$35,752Avg Tuition & Fees*
50%Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
It's not easy to decide which college to attend when there are so many options available for student athletes. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Colleges for Men's Football in Virginia ranking - to help you make that decision.
We analyzed 22 colleges and universities across Virginia to determine which were the best for Men's Football athletes in Virginia. Our ranking is based on several objective factors, including the school's overall quality and the athletic competitiveness of the school. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. So, even if a school has a great team, it won't place well if it is also considered a low quality college or university.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as online students or returnings adults.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
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See which schools came out on top of our ranking:
1 University of Richmond #3 in Qualityin Virginia University of Richmond tops this year’s ranking as the best school for Men’s Football athletes in Virginia. URichmond is a private not-for-profit institution located in University of Richmond, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 924 bachelor’s degrees in .On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at URichmond made $7,128,073 in revenue. The team has a great academic progress rate of 984, signifying that team members care about their grades.Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. URichmond did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our overall quality list.Full University of Richmond Sports Report 2 Virginia Tech #5 in Qualityin Virginia You’ll join some of the best athletes around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #2 in this year’s ranking. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In , this school awarded 7,289 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.Virginia Tech brought in $52,962,813 while tallying up $37,820,809 in expenses for its Men’s Football team. Happily, this means that the team turned a profit of $15,142,004. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 958.Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. In addition to its Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Virginia Tech is ranked #5 for overall quality in Virginia.Full Virginia Tech Sports Report
University of Richmond, Virginia
Blacksburg, Virginia
3
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
#7 in Qualityin Virginia
$11,372,433Team Revenue952Academic Progress RateOut of the 22 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the #3 spot on the list. JMU is located in Harrisonburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In , this school awarded 4,688 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.Speaking financially, the Men’s Football team at JMU took home $11,372,433 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 952.The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, JMU also is in the top 15% of our overall quality ranking.Full James Madison University Sports Report
4
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia
#1 in Qualityin Virginia
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington and Lee University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football athletes in Virginia list. Washington and Lee is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lexington, Virginia. It awarded 581 bachelor’s degrees in .On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Washington and Lee made $507,701 in revenue.With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. In addition to its Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Washington and Lee is ranked #1 for overall quality in Virginia.Full Washington and Lee University Sports Report
5
Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia
#9 in Qualityin Virginia
$769,521Team RevenueA rank of #5 on our list means Christopher Newport University is a great place for Men’s Football athletes in Virginia working on their bachelor’s degree. CNU is a public institution located in Newport News, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1,144 bachelor’s degrees in .The Men’s Football team at CNU brought home $769,521 in revenue in a single year.On top of its placing in this ranking, CNU also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.Read More…
6
Randolph - Macon College
Ashland, Virginia
#11 in Qualityin Virginia
$658,817Team RevenueRandolph - Macon College did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking, coming in at #6. Randolph - Macon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ashland, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 384 bachelor’s degrees in .On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Randolph - Macon made $658,817 in revenue.Read full sports report on Randolph - Macon College
7
Williamsburg, Virginia
#4 in Qualityin Virginia
$5,974,293Team Revenue979Academic Progress RateWilliam & Mary ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia list. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 2,030 bachelor’s degrees in .Speaking financially, the Men’s Football team at William & Mary took home $5,974,293 in revenue. The great academic progress rate of 979 shows that team members perform well in the classroom, too.The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. William & Mary also took the #4 spot in our overall quality rankings.
8
Shenandoah University
Winchester, Virginia
#16 in Qualityin Virginia
$608,682Team RevenueShenandoah University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking, coming in at #8. Winchester, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 564 students in .The Men’s Football team at Shenandoah brought home $608,682 in revenue in a single year.Read More…
9
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
#2 in Qualityin Virginia
$48,118,214Team Revenue972Academic Progress RateUniversity of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia list. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a large public school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 5,483 bachelor’s degrees in .The Men’s Football team at University of Virginia made $48,118,214 in revenue, while incurring $30,632,861 in expenses. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $17,485,353 in profit. The academic progress rate of the team is 972.With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. University of Virginia also made our overall quality list, coming in at #2.Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Sports Report
10
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia
Old Dominion University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia list. This large public school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 3,756 bachelor’s degrees in .On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Old Dominion made $12,518,823 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 961.Read More…
11
Bridgewater College
Bridgewater, Virginia
#23 in Qualityin Virginia
$501,502Team RevenueWith a ranking of #11, Bridgewater College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking. Bridgewater is located in Bridgewater, Virginia and, has a small student population. In , this school awarded 339 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Bridgewater made $501,502 in revenue.Read More…
12
Emory and Henry College
Emory, Virginia
#24 in Qualityin Virginia
$863,415Team RevenueEmory and Henry College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Emory, Virginia, and it awarded 238 bachelor’s degrees in .Speaking financially, the Men’s Football team at Emory & Henry College took home $863,415 in revenue.Read More…
13
Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia
#6 in Qualityin Virginia
$4,281,879Team Revenue962Academic Progress RateVirginia Military Institute landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking. VMI is a public institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 394 bachelor’s degrees in .On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at VMI made $4,281,879 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 962.The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. On top of its placing in this ranking, VMI also did well on our overall quality list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.Full Virginia Military Institute Sports Report
14
Hampton University
Hampton, Virginia
With a ranking of #14, Hampton University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking. Hampton University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Hampton, Virginia that handed out 674 bachelor’s degrees in .The Men’s Football team at Hampton brought home $3,984,814 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 933.Read full sports report on Hampton University
15
Southern Virginia University
Buena Vista, Virginia
With a ranking of #15, Southern Virginia University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking. Located in Buena Vista, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 168 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .The Men’s Football team at SVU brought home $602,099 in revenue in a single year.Read full sports report on Southern Virginia University
16
Averett University
Danville, Virginia
Averett University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia list. Located in Danville, Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 255 bachelor’s degrees in .Speaking financially, the Men’s Football team at AU took home $447,950 in revenue.Full Averett University Sports Report
17
Liberty University
Lynchburg, Virginia
Liberty University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking, coming in at #17. Liberty University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Lynchburg, Virginia that handed out 10,025 bachelor’s degrees in .The Men’s Football team at Liberty University brought home $19,359,283 in revenue in a single year. The team has a respectable academic progress rate of 957.Read More…
18
Ferrum College
Ferrum, Virginia
Ferrum College did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking, coming in at #18. Ferrum, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 169 students in .On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Ferrum College made $707,759 in revenue.Full Ferrum College Sports Report
19
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia list. Norfolk State University is a medium-sized public school located in Norfolk, Virginia that handed out 696 bachelor’s degrees in .Speaking financially, the Men’s Football team at Norfolk State took home $3,772,118 in revenue. The academic progress rate of the team is 956.Read More…
20
Virginia State University
Petersburg, Virginia
With a ranking of #20, Virginia State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking. Located in Petersburg, Virginia, the small public school awarded 587 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in .On the financial side of things, the Men’s Football team at Virginia State made $1,333,104 in revenue.Full Virginia State University Sports Report
21
Virginia Union University
Richmond, Virginia
Virginia Union University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Richmond, Virginia, and it awarded 154 bachelor’s degrees in .VUU brought in $1,181,416 while tallying up $1,007,707 in expenses for its Men’s Football team. That boils down to a yearly profit of $173,709 for the sports team.Read full sports report on Virginia Union University
22
The University of Virginia's College at Wise
Wise, Virginia
The University of Virginia’s College at Wise ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for Men’s Football in Virginia list. The University of Virginia’s College at Wise is a small public school located in Wise, Virginia that handed out 233 bachelor’s degrees in .Speaking financially, the Men’s Football team at UVa - Wise took home $1,283,956 in revenue.Full The University of Virginia’s College at Wise Sports Report
Best Colleges for Men's Football in the Southeast Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 22 schools only.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Revenue and expense information comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s Equity in Athletics Data Analysis (EADA) website.
- The academic progress rate (APR) of each team was made available by the NCAA.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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