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Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia

15 Schools Ranked
$30,155 Avg Student Debt

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school or bootcamp that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

The Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 15 schools in Virginia to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
$20,906 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named University of Virginia - Main Campus the best school in Virginia for students working on their graduate certificate.

One thing to take note of is that University of Virginia does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

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#2

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
$16,522 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Virginia Tech is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Virginia Tech. During the 2019-2020 year, about 63% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Virginia Tech Report

#3

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
$16,644 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend George Mason University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia list.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at GMU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 87% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

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#4

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
$16,618 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent graduate certificate programs at William & Mary helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Virginia.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since William & Mary does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 85% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full William & Mary Report

#5

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
$15,270 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Mennonite University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia list.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Eastern Mennonite does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 82% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#6

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
$12,514 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, James Madison University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their graduate certificate.

One thing to take note of is that JMU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In fact, around 68% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full James Madison University Report

#7

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia

University of Richmond came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking.

Read full report on University of Richmond

#8

University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg, Virginia
$11,759 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Lynchburg came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Lynchburg. In 2019-2020 about 78% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on University of Lynchburg

#9

Shenandoah University

Winchester, Virginia
$23,430 Average Tuition & Fees

Shenandoah University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

Online graduate courses are available at Shenandoah, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 79% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

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#10

Radford University

Radford, Virginia
$12,535 Average Tuition & Fees

Radford University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list.

Radford does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 87% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Radford University Report

#11

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia
$13,224 Average Tuition & Fees

Old Dominion University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Old Dominion. In 2019-2020 about 82% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Old Dominion University

#12

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia
$15,518 Average Tuition & Fees
$33,341 Avg Student Debt

Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $33,341 in student loans.

VCU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 62% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#13

Marymount University

Arlington, Virginia
$21,016 Average Tuition & Fees

Marymount University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #13 on the list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Marymount. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 68% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#14

Liberty University

Lynchburg, Virginia
$8,360 Average Tuition & Fees

Liberty University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia list.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Liberty University does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In 2019-2020 about 97% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#15

Regent University

Virginia Beach, Virginia
$17,190 Average Tuition & Fees

Regent University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Virginia ranking.

One thing to take note of is that Regent does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 94% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Regent University Report

View Best Graduate Certificate Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 15 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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