2026 Best Value Applied Economics Schools in Virginia
[Applied Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/applied-economics/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 1 schools to find the best return on investment for applied economics students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Applied Economics Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the applied economics degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Applied Economics Schools
Our analysis ranked Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University the best value for a degree in applied economics in Virginia. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,948, while out-of-state students pay about $37,764. Typical student debt for applied economics graduates is $22,500. Soon after graduation, applied economics degree recipients from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University generally make around $56,261. That is a strong return on a $22,500 median debt. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University admits about 55% of applicants.
More Applied Economics Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 1 school 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.
