Public:

• University of Virginia


• College of William and Mary


• Virginia Tech


• Virginia Commonwealth University


• James Madison University


• George Mason University


• Virginia Military University


• Old Dominion University


• University of Mary Washington


• Radford University

Virginia is one of the few Public School States on the Eastern Seaboard. There are a glut of public universities, and most, if not all, outclass the state's private schools.

In fact, Virginia is one of the two states in the entire nation to have more than one of U.S. News and World Report's top 10 public universities, the other being California.

Weighing in as the number two ranked public university, 23 overall, the University of Virginia is the state's flagship university.

As for individual school rankings within the University? Oh, top 10, top 10, top 5, top 10, the School of Commerce is the second best in the nation, um...top 5, top 10, you get the idea. Suffice it to say if you get into the University of Virgina, you are guaranteed one of the best educations in the nation and the world.

The state's second best University is the College of William and Mary. The nation's best "small" public school is rated number 33 overall. W&M's graduation rate are the second highest in the nation among public schools. Even the graduation rates among athletes are tied with Stanford for 5th best. Most notably, the football program graduates 100% of their athletes.

The campus is located in Historic Williamsburg. It's located just an hour from the shores of Virginia Beach, walking distance from the Jamestown Settlement and just 10 minutes from Busch Gardens - Europe, YAY! AT least you know how you will be spending your weekends. That's right...studying.

William and Mary's business school is in the top 10 among public universities, the law school is ranked 31. And at $27 thousand a year in tuition, Kiplinger's rated it their third best value among American colleges.

William and Mary also has a neat set of traditions, which include walking through the Wren Building as incoming freshmen, and then walking though again as seniors, commemorating their departure from the university. On the last day of classes, seniors ring a bell in the Wren Building. I also like the unofficial triathlon that students attempt to complete before graduating. One requirement is streaking though the Sunken Gardens.

But the best traditions fall around Christmas time. The men's chorale sing "The Twelve Days of Christmas," and the President, in full Santa Claus regalia reads "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Lovers of the macabre and the supernatural will also appreciate the universities many legends and ghost stories.

But the biggest draw here is the small-school environment. And did I mention that it is next to a theme park?

Conversely, while walking around Virginia Commonwealth University you may think you are in a theme park. VCU is Virginia's largest university with 32 thousand students. It is also one of Virginia's most affordable, with out-of-state tuition just under $19 thousand a year.

VCU has a number of national rankings for graduate programs. Its art school is among the nation's elite and the graduate program in sculpture is the best in the nation.

Its Dentistry, Social Work, Pharmacy and Physical Therapy schools are all in the nation's top 25.

But much more importantly, VCU has the best Nurse Anesthesia graduate degree in the nation! Why is that important?

Now pay attention. For every surgery in which a patient is required to go under, you need an anesthetist. You can, of course, become an anesthesiologist; an M.D. which requires years of costly medical school, and then battle for a handful of jobs. Or you could become a CRNA; a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, and do the exact same job.

You graduate in half the time and at less than half the cost. That means you spend a lot less money and you are out in the field earning much sooner, paying off your student loans rather than accruing interest on them. And considering that a CRNA still makes about $1 thousand dollars a day you will still do pretty well for yourself. Plus you work more regular hours than an M.D. because most surgeries are scheduled, not emergencies.

And nurse anesthetists are always in demand. Hospitals typically only employ one or two anesthesiologists. But they are willing to hire a lot more nurse anesthetists because they are much cheaper. Some sources say nurse anethetist is the most in-demand profession in the U.S. You are almost guaranteed a job! So think about that when I say that VCU has the best Nurse Anesthesia degree in the U.S.

The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is U.S. News' 71 rated national University. The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Engineering program is rated the eighth best among public schools, 14 overall. Its business school is ranked 41 in the nation and And one of the top 14 cooperative education and internship programs in the nation.

And costing just under $20 thousand in tuition, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranks as one of Kiplinger's best value schools. Although Kiplinger refers to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University as simply Virginia Tech.

The Virginia Tech Hokies annually fields some of the best athletic teams in the ACC, so if your into sports, factor that into your consideration. They compete with UVA annually for the Governor's "Commonwealth Cup" in football. The UVA rivalry is VT's most fierce.

Virginia Tech was also the setting for the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. But in the wake of the tragedy, a much closer-knit, intimate, and more vigilant community has formed among the students and faculty.

James Madison University is U.S. News' Best public master's university in the South, 4 overall. At $17 thousand a year in tuition, it is a tremendous value school; Kiplinger's rated it 22 overall.

George Mason University is the nation's fourth most diverse and was Karl Rove's Alma Mater. Sports fans know the George Mason Patriots were one of the great Cinderella stories of the 21st century when they crashed the men's basketball final four in 2006 after having never won an NCAA tournament game.

Virginia Military Institute is the third ranked public liberal arts university. And the graduates show their appreciation by making its endowment the largest per capita among public universities.

Private:

• Washington & Lee University


• Liberty University


• Virginia Union University

When you are a private university in the same state as such reputed public universities as UVA, W&M and VCU, you will have a hard time battling for legitimacy.

Personally, I would say save your money and attend one of the plethora of public Virgina universities. Most of the private universities are hardly worth noting.

The exception would be Washington and Lee University. The name derives from the facts that George Washington endowed the University, and following the Civil War, Robert E. Lee was the University's president until his death in 1870. It is U.S. News' number 15 liberal arts university.

The admission rate for this small school was a minuscule 15% for the class of 2012, so you better bring your "A" game when you apply. W&L has one of the best academic experiences in the U.S., according to the Princeton Review. The professors are among the nations best reviewed and most accessible.

Liberty University, founded in 1971 by televangelist Jerry Falwell, is a fourth tier liberal arts University.

A more appropriate name might be "Jerry Falwell Presents Liberty University," because unless you align yourself with Falwell's strict Baptist beliefs you probably won't fit in. Liberty students are required to attend convocation three times a week, and the University code forbids visiting the room of a member of the opposite sex, drinking, smoking, attending dances, or even viewing R-rated movies! Talk about cramping your style. Violation of the code can result in punishment or fines.

The science department at Liberty asserts that dinosaurs and Man lived on the Earth at the same time and that dinosaurs were most likely present on Noah's Ark. Needless to say, majoring in Biology won't get you very far in any non-creationist facility.

But on the plus side, you will get to see some premier speakers at Liberty. John McCain, Ron Paul, Sean Hannity, Ronald Reagan and even President George W. Bush have spoken for students at Liberty.

Online:

• Liberty University


• Virginia College


• Virginia Tech


• Old Dominion University


• Hampton University

One thing I can really give Liberty credit for is having an absolutely top-notch distance education program.

You can earn a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Business, Criminal Justice, Nursing, Psychology, and Religion, just to name a few. You can also earn a masters, doctorate, or one of several Associate degrees; all online.

Virginia College, which was originally founded in Roanoke, Va. now distance education throughout the South. It offers various Associate and Bachelor's degrees, and Master's degrees in business, criminal justice, and cybersecurity.

Virginia Tech offers 29 Master's degree, certificate and licensure programs online, and several core courses online. So even if you aren't on campus, you can work towards an undergraduate degree.

In addition to being the Alma Mater of Chad Hugo of the Neptunes and Kenna, Old Dominion University offers dozens of online graduate and undergraduate degrees as well as minors and certificate programs.

Hampton University offers Bachelor's degrees in Business Management, Systems Organization and Management, and Paralegal Studies and Human Resources Management.