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).
Major
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: VirginiaClear all

61 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 44%

    Longwood University

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

    $19,066 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    American National University

    Top 14% for low debt
    Salem, VA · Private for-profit · 4-year · 824 students

    $18,036 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 47%

    Liberty University

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

    $29,357 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 49%

    Sweet Briar College

    Good: Compass grade B
    Sweet Briar, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 464 students

    $17,758 a year after aid, on average

    All-femaleAll-female: the school enrolls women only.ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach

    Top 21% for low net price
    Virginia Beach, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,339 students

    $12,038 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Bridgewater College

    Good: Compass grade B
    Bridgewater, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,436 students

    $17,800 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Hampton University

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

    $25,319 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Old Dominion University

    Good: Compass grade B
    Norfolk, VA · Public · 4-year · 22,541 students

    $14,638 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    South University-Virginia Beach

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

    $27,843 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Emory & Henry University

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Emory, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,364 students

    $19,061 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Averett University

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

    $22,925 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Randolph College

    Good: Compass grade B-
    Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 634 students

    $15,921 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Radford University

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

    $14,578 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Marymount University

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

    $29,137 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Virginia University of Lynchburg

    #40 in Virginia
    Lynchburg, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 589 students

    $21,253 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Mary Baldwin University

    Top 24% for low net price
    Staunton, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,792 students

    $12,756 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Virginia Wesleyan University

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

    $19,676 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    South University-Richmond

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

    $30,442 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Bluefield University

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

    $25,573 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Southern Virginia University

    #45 in Virginia
    Buena Vista, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 967 students

    $22,213 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    ECPI University

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

    $22,965 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Virginia State University

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

    $15,840 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Ferrum College

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

    $20,082 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Strayer University-Virginia

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

    $19,578 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Norfolk State University

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Norfolk, VA · Public · 4-year · 6,045 students

    $15,282 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong

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