2026 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in Virginia
[General Educational Leadership & Administration](/majors/education/educational-administration/educational-leadership-and-administration-general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 17 schools to find the best return on investment for general educational leadership & administration students.
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2026 Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general educational leadership & administration degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools
For return on investment in general educational leadership & administration, no school beat Old Dominion University this year. Set in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,750, compared with $33,780 for out-of-state students. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $26,001 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Old Dominion University generally make around $63,648. Set against $26,001 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
A rank of #2 makes George Mason University one of the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $14,220, with out-of-state students paying around $38,688. Students borrow a median of $23,529 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $84,096. Set against $23,529 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. George Mason University admits about 88% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Radford University earned it the #3 place for general educational leadership & administration. Radford University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Radford. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,548, while out-of-state students pay about $25,633. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $25,514. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Radford University generally make around $59,061. That is a strong return on a $25,514 median debt. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Students looking for strong value in general educational leadership & administration will find it at Virginia State University, which ranked #4. Virginia State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Petersburg. In-state tuition and fees average $10,043, while out-of-state students pay about $22,650. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $29,010. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Virginia State University generally make around $94,220. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Virginia Commonwealth University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general educational leadership & administration, landing the #5 spot this year. Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public school located in the city of Richmond. Students from in state pay about $16,720 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $39,884. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $23,813. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median of $89,763 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,813 median debt. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
James Madison University earned the #6 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Located in the city of Harrisonburg, James Madison University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,966 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $31,312. Students borrow a median of $21,218 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of James Madison University earn a median of $52,997 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,218 median debt. Roughly 72% of applicants are accepted.
Regent University placed #7 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Regent University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Virginia Beach. In-state tuition and fees average $21,650. Students borrow a median of $29,451 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from Regent University generally make around $63,312. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 38%.
College Of William And Mary earned the #8 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the suburb of Williamsburg, College Of William And Mary is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $25,734 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $51,038. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $18,935. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $79,083. That is a strong return on a $18,935 median debt. The acceptance rate is 34%.
University Of Virginia Main Campus came in at #9 for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $23,118, compared with $61,591 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $18,627. Soon after graduation, general educational leadership & administration degree recipients from University Of Virginia Main Campus generally make around $63,369. That is a strong return on a $18,627 median debt. Roughly 17% of applicants are accepted.
Marymount University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best value general educational leadership & administration schools. Set in the city of Arlington, Marymount University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $40,120. Students borrow a median of $26,880 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $58,028. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Liberty University placed #11 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Set in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $16,173 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,414 to complete the general educational leadership & administration program here. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $60,296. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Liberty University admits about 99% of applicants.
Shenandoah University earned the #12 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. Set in the city of Winchester, Shenandoah University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $36,950. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates carry a median of $26,005 in student loans. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of Shenandoah University earn a median of $62,948 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Shenandoah University admits about 77% of applicants.
Hampton University placed #13 among the best values for general educational leadership & administration. Located in the suburb of Hampton, Hampton University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $30,592. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $26,169. Early-career general educational leadership & administration graduates make about $46,870. That is a strong return on a $26,169 median debt. Hampton University admits about 62% of applicants.
University Of Richmond earned the #14 position for value in general educational leadership & administration this year. University Of Richmond is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of University of Richmond. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,230. Typical student debt for general educational leadership & administration graduates is $21,634. General Educational Leadership & Administration graduates of University Of Richmond earn a median of $53,815 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,634 median debt. Roughly 22% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 ranked schools only.
- 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.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
