Virginia is one of the most beautiful states in the nation. It is full of rich history, as it was the home for many of our founding fathers, the site of so many definitive American conflicts, and is now the home to a rich and diversified economy that stretches from beautiful Atlantic beaches to stunning Appalachian vistas. Virginians can pursue careers in shipping, high-technology, government, engineering, and even tourism. There is no limit to what you can do in Virginia.
To support this incredible breadth of opportunity, Virginia is home to some of our nation's storied and venerated colleges and universities. University of Virginia, to name one example, is a pillar of U.S. education and the state still supports stellar women's colleges. The state even has at least one non-military college for men only. If you live in Virginia, you have your pick of some of our top schools. Your career already shines bright.
What are the most popular bachelor's degrees offered in Virginia?
No matter what degree you pursue, if you graduate from a Virginia institution, you are assured an excellent education. However, you should choose a degree that not only leads to a successful career, but which also is one that is gratifying and will offer a lifetime of satisfaction.
While Virginia's most popular bachelor's degrees are much like those of the rest of the nation, there are significant differences. Consider these, but also remember that an education is a highly personal thing. Even if you pick the most popular major, make sure that the program you pursue is tailored to your specific goals and desires.
The most popular bachelor's degrees offered in Virginia are:
Virginia has a very diverse economy. You can work as a shipbuilder on the coast, or in agribusiness for the Federal Government in the far northern part of the state. While the state is largely divided along a north/south divide with the southern regions lagging in economic activity, the overall picture shows the Virginia economy ranked #30 in the nation. However, the state is ranked 9th for its business environment and 18th in employment.
Once you have graduated with your Virginia bachelor's degree, you can become a mover and shaker in the state's economy. No matter what field you choose, there will be loads of opportunities waiting for you.
Top Accounting Careers and Salaries
CAREER NAME
CURRENTLY EMPLOYED
AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
Personal Financial Advisor
330
$85,150
Financial Analyst
8,550
$59,300
Tax Revenue Agent
1,400
$59,900
Budget Analyst
3,600
$59,100
Cost Estimator
9,000
$54,100
Personal Financial Advisor: Everyone wants to turn their savings into real wealth. That's where you'll come in to help people shield their money from taxation while maximizing its growth in a smart manner. You will need to earn a Series 7 license with the SEC in order to buy and sell equities on the public markets, and you might also consider maintaining a CPA license, or at least becoming certified as a CPA.
Financial Analyst: With an accounting degree, you can help your firm manage its assets while also seeking new opportunities. You can consider working for an investment banking firm, but you can also go straight to work for a corporation and help them prepare their tax statements while finding new ways to streamline operations. You might even seek out comparable companies to acquire or structure the company in preparation for an IPO.
Tax Revenue Agent: Working for a government revenue agency can be a great way to launch your career in accounting. If you are entering the job market with a lot of student loan debt, you can offset that debt by working for the government – or a non-profit organization. When you learn the tax code from the standpoint of law enforcement, you can better help corporations later on.
Budget Analyst: How corporations manage their budgets is a key element of success. You don't want to restrict spending and inhibit growth, but you also don't want to over-extend and end up in trouble. Your accounting background can help your firm discover how to create budgets that leave aside a prudent reserve while also launching new waves of success.
Cost Estimator: This job is primarily found in the construction/building professions, and it requires a keen eye for detail as well as thorough knowledge of the materials and labor costs involved. Your assessment of a project and its costs will be of vital importance to everyone. In fact, you might consider additional coursework in construction management or engineering to help create the most accurate estimates.
Best Virginia Schools for Accounting
Washington and Lee University
University of Richmond
Virginia Polytechnic and State University
University of Virginia
College of William and Mary
Top Business Administration and Management Careers and Salaries
CAREER NAME
CURRENTLY EMPLOYED
AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
Market Research Analysts
19,600
$52,200
Financial Analysts
7,900
$97,990
Accounting
42,200
$85,720
Operations Managers
58,150
$137,730
Logistician
7,850
$86,970
Market Research Analysts: If you love crunching numbers and drilling down to discover a hidden micro-demographic, this is the job for you. With today's rush of data and tools to help with deeper and deeper analysis, you won't be hurting for work.
Financial Analysts: This a terrific job in which to launch a career in finance. If you can land a spot with an investment banking firm, your first two years or so will be grueling. However, once you complete their analyst program you should go get your MBA and then rise even higher. The good news is that you'll always have your experience as an analyst to fall back on.
Accounting: Whether you become a CPA and help people form corporations, file taxes, or restructure debt or work with law enforcement to catch white-collar criminals, accounting is a fantastic career path. These days, accountants are also found in IT departments where they audit the business systems rather than the quarterly earnings sheets.
Operations Managers: Once you have some managerial experience under your belt, you can move up into an Operations Management position. However, if you are running a small firm, you may find that the business only needs one manager and that’s you. Since operation managers have to juggle all of the operations in their firm, this can be a daunting task.
Logistician: To work in this profession you should probably study Supply Chain Management. Given the increasingly global nature of our economy, you might consider pairing that work with studies in International Business. You might manage products as they are fabricated in China and then shipped to San Diego, Seattle, Maui, and Barcelona.
Best Virginia Schools for Business Administration and Management
University of Virginia
College of William and Mary
James Madison University
Washington and Lee University
Top Criminal Justice / Law Enforcement Administration Careers and Salaries
CAREER NAME
CURRENTLY EMPLOYED
AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
Detective / Investigator
3,160
$97,770
Fish and Game Warden
210
$48,850
Security Specialist
30,600
$34,800
Corrections Officer
14,750
$42,380
Forensic Science Technician
440
$69,260
Detective / Investigator: While not every case is going to be as dramatic as Hollywood makes them out to be, you will have an opportunity to seek justice and create healthier communities. A college degree will be key to launching your career.
Fish and Game Warden: Virginia is home to some of the most majestic wilderness areas. To keep those areas healthy and intact, the wildlife need people like you to enforce poaching laws. Your job will allow you to turn your love of nature into a way of life, and a career that will protect much of what makes Virginia the wonderful place that it is.
Security Specialist: Everyone needs security, especially banks, office buildings, and even shopping malls. If you don't feel the call to work for your town's police department, you might prefer to work for a private security firm to help maintain the peace in that way. You could also find yourself working to protect politicians and other persons of note.
Corrections Officer: Whether you work in a prison and help inmates live by the rules there, or if you are in an office consulting with parolees your job will be one of rehabilitation. Your colleagues might bring criminals into the system, but perhaps you can help them find a way to get out and stay out.
Forensic Science Technician: If you love both science and law enforcement, this is the job for you. The television show CSI depicts how science inter-plays with police work to recreate and solve crimes. This is a position that you will never tire of, as the science behind it is ever-evolving.
Best Virginia Schools for Criminal Justice / Law Enforcement
University of Richmond
George Mason
Marymount University
Hampton University
Top Healthcare Administration and Management Careers and Salaries
CAREER NAME
CURRENTLY EMPLOYED
AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
Hospital Administration
7,650
$116,770
Healthcare Informatics / Systems Analysts
26,050
$106,490
Public Relations Management
1,300
$85,600 (N/A for 2021)
Public Health Educator
1,200
$54,640
Human Resources Specialist
21,900
$75,810
Hospital Administration: Every healthcare system needs, not only clinicians to provide immediate care, but the administrators who keep the lights on. You can study Healthcare Administration as a stand-alone degree and launch a career that might bear a superficial resemblance to many management jobs, but which works within the financial and ethical constrictions of medicine.
Healthcare Informatics / Systems Analyst: Data is the name of the Healthcare Informatics game. You'll analyze patient records, clinical outcomes, and more to help your healthcare system operate at maximum efficiency. This is a highly interdisciplinary field that will have you learning and making new discoveries all the time.
Public Relations Management: Every health system needs a public relations wing to help get the news out for new medical breakthroughs, successful new surgical procedures, and more. You may also have to work extra hard if something goes awry. You'll need to regain the public trust in your hospital or client with press releases, media events, etc. With a specialized degree in Healthcare Administration, you will have the tools necessary for this job.
Public Health Educator: People are kept healthy because they know what to do and what not to do. You might educate youngsters to the dangers of alcohol and tobacco or inform patients about the surgical procedures they are about to undergo. Whether you work in the community, the schools, or in a hospital setting, the knowledge and wisdom you dispense will be invaluable for all.
Human Resources Specialist: Every organization needs a Human Resources Specialist to help hire new staff, manage benefits, and even let people go when that time comes. For the healthcare industry, you'll need special knowledge of medicine and other areas in clinical work. You'll also need to have the core HR skills that every other person in your profession needs.
Healthcare Administrator: Healthcare administrators help with strategic planning, preparing budgets, risk management, and marketing to keep the facilities operations running smoothly. There are many skills that are necessary to become a successful healthcare administrator.
Best Virginia Schools for Healthcare Administration and Management
University of Richmond
University of Virginia
George Mason University
James Madison University
Top Health Sciences / Registered Nursing Careers and Salaries
CAREER NAME
CURRENTLY EMPLOYED
AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY
Registered Nursing
66,040
$71,870
Occupational Therapist
3,050
$91,970
Physical Therapist
6,720
$91,930
Nurse Practitioner
5,200
$109,110
Speech-Language Pathologists
3,090
$87,140
Registered Nursing: This is a highly diversified field where you can add certifications in a wide range of medical specialties. Some work in psychiatry, gerontology, anesthetics, or maternity, to name a few. Thus, you can carve a career that spans a few different areas if you choose. Regardless, you will be a true asset to doctors and a tremendous help to patients.
Occupational Therapist: This is yet another diverse field within the healthcare industry. OTs work with aged people who wrestle with dementia, accident victims learning to get back into their lives, and even teenagers who suffer with psychosis on top of the stresses associated with the teen years. You'll need a master's degree to become a licensed OT, but you can work as an OT assistant without that qualification.
Physical Therapist: This occupation is principally concerned with getting people moving again. You might work with stroke victims who are re-learning basic moves or amputees who need strategies for using their prosthetics. You'll find endless satisfaction from teaching a middle-aged person to walk all over again, or simply treating a painful case of tendinitis.
Nurse Practitioner: These medical professionals work under a doctor's license and thus perform most of the functions of a full MD. If you pursue this career, you might operate a clinic while the MD who oversees your work is in another location altogether. You might not have quite the salary of an MD, but you also won't have the responsibility.
Speech-Language Pathologists: From helping youngsters overcome a lisp to helping a Parkinson's patient fully articulate himself, your job will be to facilitate communication. Your job description will also cover swallowing disorders so you might even save lives by enabling safe eating habits. Your patients might be also struggle with autism, developmental delays, brain injury, or stroke. Who knows? You might one day help put a singer back on the stage.
Best Virginia Schools for Health Sciences
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
You can start working towards the career of your dreams by enrolling in one of the two-year degrees available in Virginia. It’s easy to earn a valuable associate degree quickly and affordably. Whatever your professional concentration is, one of the top colleges in the state will have an associate program that will prepare you for a successful career after graduation. Alternatively, you could use an associate program to spend less money to complete your general education requirements before applying for and transferring to a traditional four-year institution.
Students can choose from a wide variety of prestigious, four-year bachelor’s degree programs in Virginia. You have many options to choose from among the state’s top colleges or universities. Undergraduate programs are ideal for individuals who want a broad introduction to a certain field. Graduates gain the knowledge and skills necessary to jumpstart their academic and/or professional careers. Whatever your goals and aspirations are, you will be prepared for employment in your field of choice or enrollment in an advanced degree program.
University of Virginia
College Type 4-year, Public
Campus Housing Yes
Student Population 25,628
Graduation Rate 94%
Net Price $19,043
Grads Salary $78,000
Virginia Military Institute
College Type 4-year, Public
Campus Housing Yes
Student Population 1,698
Graduation Rate 85%
Net Price $18,969
Grads Salary $83,000
William & Mary
College Type 4-year, Public
Campus Housing Yes
Student Population 8,939
Graduation Rate 91%
Net Price $18,588
Grads Salary $74,000
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Many fields require an advanced degree in order to be competitive in the job market. Whether you are interested in business, law, medicine, or engineering, earning a master’s or doctoral degree in Virginia will help ensure success in your academic and career-related pursuits. Many of the top degree programs in this state will help you gain a deeper and more specialized understanding of your field. Graduates can also expect to be more competitive when applying for positions, will advance faster, and are likely to make more money.
University of Virginia
College Type 4-year, Public
Campus Housing Yes
Student Population 25,628
Graduation Rate 94%
Net Price $19,043
Grads Salary $78,000
William & Mary
College Type 4-year, Public
Campus Housing Yes
Student Population 8,939
Graduation Rate 91%
Net Price $18,588
Grads Salary $74,000
Averett University-Non-Traditional Programs
College Type 4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing No
Student Population 472
Graduation Rate NA
Net Price $12,165
Grads Salary $78,000
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Education is an investment. It's an investment in personal growth, career development, and your long-term well-being in our society. That's why you should take great care when deciding which college to attend, which major to study, and how you intend to finance the whole four-year adventure.
Most students in the United States must take on some sort of debt to complete their studies. In order to mitigate this outcome, there are a few things you can do. You can attend an in-state, public college or university, apply for scholarships and grants, and take courses at a lower-cost community or online institution. Since you are in Virginia, it's easy to stay in-state. After all, you have some of the nation's top public universities available for the in-state tuition rate. Consider that an equivalent education in North Carolina might cost as much as three times the tuition.
When you find the in-state school for you, apply for as many scholarships and grants as you possibly can. In fact, make this a habit every term. Take a few days to apply to many different scholarships. Though you might win many smaller scholarships, that money doesn't come with any strings. You'll never pay interest on those $500 scholarships.
Finally, to reduce costs, you can take your core curriculum from a community college. If the school is fully accredited the courses should transfer to your four-year institution. In fact, you might find that the courses are even a bit better than the equivalent at a major university. You'll receive top instruction from experts who have received master's degrees from top universities, and the class sizes will be smaller.
With a little creativity, you can not only reduce your college budget, but you will come out with a top-notch education.
College Cost Analysis - Virginia vs National
Average Virginia Tuition & Fees at 4 Year Public Schools
In-State Tuition - $13,413
National Average – $9,580
Out-of-State Tuition – $34,890
National Average – $27,437
Percentage of Students Receiving Financial Aid
Financial Aid
Virginia
Nationally
Received Federal Grants
36%
37.7%
Average $ per Recipient
$10,930
$10,927
* Institutional aid represents grant and scholarship funds directly awarded by a post-secondary institution.
* Financial aid data represents 4-year public and private nonprofit schools only.
