College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.

Every accredited U.S. college

Colleges

Every accredited four-year college, rated on Academic Excellence and Value (what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and student debt), all from federal data.

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Compass Score sorts by outcomes, students and cost together. The other sorts order every college by a different measure.
Ratings
Compass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data: outcomes (40%), entering students (40%), cost (15%) and teaching (5%). Choose the lowest grade to show.
ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.
Only Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only the eight Ivy League universities.
Location1
Distance (miles)
A broad region of the country, as the guide groups the states. Territories are listed separately.
School
Type of college, as college guides group them (from the federal Carnegie Classification): national universities offer a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs and do research; liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates in the arts and sciences; regional universities mostly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees; regional colleges mostly offer bachelor’s degrees in many fields; specialized schools focus on one field, such as health, art or business.
Public or privatePublic: run by a state or local government. Private: nonprofit or for-profit.
Total enrollment: small is under 2,000 students, medium 2,000 to 9,999, large 10,000 to 24,999, and very large 25,000 or more.
Net price: what a typical student pays per year after grants and scholarships, from the federal College Scorecard.
Coed: men and women together. Single-sex: all-male or all-female.
Campus life
College sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.
Where the campus is, from federal data: in a city, a suburb, a town, or a rural area.
The college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).
The college offers study abroad (federal data).
Admissions and outcomes
How many applicants are admitted (federal data). Most: 65% or more. Selective: 25% to 64%. Highly selective: under 25%.
Your SAT or ACT, to sort colleges Target, Likely and Reach. Signed in, it is kept on your account (private to you); otherwise only in this browser.
Reach, Target or LikelyA rough guide from admitted students' scores and admission rates, not a prediction. Target: your score is in the college's middle range. Likely: above it, or the college admits most applicants. Reach: below it, or the college admits fewer than 1 in 5.
Small classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Strong outcomes: 75% or more of students graduate (federal data).
Major1
Colleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.
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RecommendedOnly Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.Honor RollOnly Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.ValueOnly colleges with a Value score of 85 or higher (grade A), from federal data.AcademicsOnly schools with an Academic Excellence grade of A or better (the top 10% of rated colleges), from federal data.Ivy LeagueOnly the eight Ivy League universities.Clear
Division I sportsCollege sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.ROTCThe college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).Study abroadThe college offers study abroad (federal data).NursingColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.EngineeringColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.Under $20kNet price under $20,000 a year: what a typical student pays after grants and scholarships (federal data).Small classesSmall classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
State: VirginiaMajor: Criminal justiceClear all

22 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 19%

    George Mason University

    Top 10% for earnings
    Fairfax, VA · Public · 4-year · 39,527 students

    About $18,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 33%

    Roanoke College

    Top 25% for graduation
    Salem, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,835 students

    About $25,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 33%

    Regent University

    Very good: Compass grade B+
    Virginia Beach, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 10,168 students

    About $20,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 35%

    University of Virginia's College at Wise

    Top 13% for low net price
    Wise, VA · Public · 4-year · 1,911 students

    About $9,000 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value ExcellentAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 36%

    Virginia Commonwealth University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Richmond, VA · Public · 4-year · 28,238 students

    About $23,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 37%

    Shenandoah University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Winchester, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 4,343 students

    About $30,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value FairAcademics Excellent
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 44%

    Longwood University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Farmville, VA · Public · 4-year · 4,545 students

    About $19,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Liberty University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 103,068 students

    About $29,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value FairAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Hampton University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Hampton, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,649 students

    About $25,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    South University-Virginia Beach

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Virginia Beach, VA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 270 students

    About $28,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value FairAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Averett University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Danville, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,378 students

    About $23,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Radford University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Radford, VA · Public · 4-year · 7,531 students

    About $15,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Marymount University

    Top 17% for earnings
    Arlington, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,667 students

    About $29,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Virginia Wesleyan University

    #42 in Virginia
    Virginia Beach, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,711 students

    About $20,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    South University-Richmond

    #43 in Virginia
    Glen Allen, VA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 417 students

    About $30,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value FairAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Bluefield University

    #44 in Virginia
    Bluefield, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 989 students

    About $26,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Fair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    ECPI University

    #46 in Virginia
    Virginia Beach, VA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 11,745 students

    About $23,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Virginia State University

    #47 in Virginia
    Petersburg, VA · Public · 4-year · 5,190 students

    About $16,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value StrongAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Ferrum College

    #48 in Virginia
    Ferrum, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 767 students

    About $20,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value FairAcademics Strong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Strayer University-Virginia

    #49 in Virginia
    Arlington, VA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 2,382 students

    About $20,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value FairAcademics Fair
  • Not yet rated

    University of Management and Technology

    Top 16% for earnings
    Arlington, VA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 1,167 students

    Value not rated yetAcademics Strong
  • Not yet rated

    DeVry University-Virginia

    Arlington, VA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 32 students

    About $37,000 a year after aid, on average

    Value Fair

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