The 10 Best Colleges In Virginia, According To New 2027 Ranking

The University of Virginia is the best college in Virginia, according to Niche's newly released 2027 college rankings.

The Pittsburgh-based college search and review site evaluated more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide, using federal data along with student and alumni reviews.

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UVA, located in Charlottesville, ranked No. 26 nationally on Niche's 2027 Best Colleges in America list and No. 1 in Virginia. Washington and Lee University in Lexington ranked second, followed by William & Mary and Virginia Tech.

Here's a list of the top 10 Virginia schools, according to Niche's rankings:

1. University of Virginia
2. Washington and Lee University
3. William & Mary
4. Virginia Tech
5. University of Richmond
6. The University of Virginia's College at Wise
7. Hampden-Sydney College
8. Virginia Commonwealth University
9. George Mason University
10. James Madison University

Virginia colleges also showed up near the top of several specialty rankings.

The University of Virginia was 13th on the Best Colleges for Business in America list and ranked 23rd among the Best Colleges for Biology. UVA was also 17th on the list Colleges with the Best Student Life in America, followed by Virginia Tech at No. 21 college life ECPI University in Virginia Beach ranked 24th on Niche's Best Colleges for Information Technology/

Niche publishes rankings for categories including value, academics, professors, student life, campuses, majors, public universities and liberal arts colleges, as well as rankings by state.

The Top 10 Nationally

Nationally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the No. 1 spot on the 2027 Best Colleges list. The full top 10 includes:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Stanford University, Stanford, California
3. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
4. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
5. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
6. California Institute of Technology, California
7. Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
8. Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
9. Columbia University, New York
10. Rice University, Texas

What Goes Into The Rankings

Niche's rankings combine federal data with reviews from students and alumni, weighing factors including academics, value, professors, campus life, diversity and safety.

For 2027, Niche also added a measure that compares colleges with similar institutions based on their missions and outcomes. The site also introduced pilot grades for student wellness and "future readiness," including career services, internships and exposure to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.