2025 Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Virginia

Ranked #2 in popularity, general studies is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for general studies students pursuing a associate degree. Combined, these schools handed out 2,150 associate degrees in general studies to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Associate Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great General Studies School for Your Associate Degree

The general studies associate degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. Important measures of a quality general studies program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to general studies students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of general studies students who choose to seek a associate degree at the school.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized general studies related body.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for general studies students working on their associate degree.

More Ways to Rank General Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best General Studies Associate Degree Schools in Virginia list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study General Studies in Virginia

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in general studies.

Top Virginia Schools for an Associate in General Studies

1

Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale, VA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

1,083 Annual Graduates

Northern Virginia Community College is one of the best schools in the country for getting an associate degree in general studies. Located in the large suburb of Annandale, Northern Virginia Community College is a public college with a very large student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Northern Virginia Community College

2

Tidewater Community College
Norfolk, VA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

583 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat Tidewater Community College if you want to pursue an associate degree in general studies. Tidewater Community College is a large public college located in the midsize city of Norfolk.More information about a associate in general studies from Tidewater Community College

3

John Tyler Community College
Chester, VA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

110 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat John Tyler Community College if you wish to pursue an associate degree in general studies. Located in the large suburb of Chester, John Tyler Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in general studies from John Tyler Community College

4

Piedmont Virginia Community College
Charlottesville, VA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

161 Annual Graduates

Piedmont Virginia Community College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting an associate degree in general studies. PVCC is a moderately-sized public college located in the suburb of Charlottesville.More information about a associate in general studies from Piedmont Virginia Community College

5

Reynolds Community College
Richmond, VA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

94 Annual Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Richmond, Reynolds Community College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Reynolds Community College

6

Virginia Western Community College
Roanoke, VA

Associate Degree Highest Degree Type

77 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Roanoke, Virginia Western Community College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in general studies from Virginia Western Community College

Best General Studies Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best General Studies Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Mississippi	272	2,819
Florida	232	316
North Carolina	231	58
Georgia	217	687
West Virginia	180	2,051
Tennessee	170	1,434
Arkansas	161	2,534
Kentucky	129	130
Louisiana	124	1,285
Alabama	109	4,487
South Carolina	105	28

View All Rankings >

General Studies Related Rankings by Major

General Studies is one of 3 different types of Liberal Arts General Studies programs to choose from.

Most Popular Majors Related to General Studies

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts	3,427
Humanities	343

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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.