2026 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Virginia
[Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing](/majors/health-care-professions/nursing/psychiatric-mental-health-nurse-nursing/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing students.
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2026 Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools in Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing Schools
For return on investment in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing, no school beat Old Dominion University this year. Set in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,750 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $33,780. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Old Dominion University earn a median of $124,750 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Radford University one of the best values for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Located in the town of Radford, Radford University is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,548, with out-of-state students paying around $25,633. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $26,000. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $85,443. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. Radford University admits about 90% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at George Mason University earned it the #3 place for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,220, while out-of-state students pay about $38,688. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $22,750 in student loans. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of George Mason University earn a median of $99,718 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes Virginia Commonwealth University one of the best values for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Set in the city of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,720, compared with $39,884 for out-of-state students. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $26,250 in student loans. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Virginia Commonwealth University earn a median of $128,772 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 93% of applicants are accepted.
Bluefield College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the town of Bluefield, Bluefield College is a small private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $26,770. Students borrow a median of $22,442 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates of Bluefield College earn a median of $49,380 early in their careers. Set against $22,442 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Bluefield College admits about 59% of applicants.
University Of Virginia Main Campus placed #6 among the best values for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $23,118, while out-of-state students pay about $61,591. Psychiatric/mental Health Nurse/nursing graduates carry a median of $15,130 in student loans. Soon after graduation, psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing degree recipients from University Of Virginia Main Campus generally make around $98,628. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Virginia Main Campus admits about 17% of applicants.
Marymount University came in at #7 for value in psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing this year. Located in the city of Arlington, Marymount University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $40,120 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $29,166. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $58,028. That is a strong return on a $29,166 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Liberty University placed #8 among the best values for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing. Set in the city of Lynchburg, Liberty University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,173. Typical student debt for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates is $27,457. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $83,872. That is a strong return on a $27,457 median debt. The acceptance rate is 99%.
Shenandoah University landed the #9 spot for psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing value this year. Shenandoah University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Winchester. In-state tuition and fees average $36,950. Students borrow a median of $29,749 to complete the psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing program here. Early-career psychiatric/mental health nurse/nursing graduates make about $103,180. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
