Va Colleges a Bargain. Is that Enough to Save Them?

But can they survive the undertow?

But can they survive the undertow?

I know this undercuts my narrative of outrage regarding continual tuition hikes at Virginia’s public universities, but I try to present all the relevant facts. And the fact is, Virginia institutions score well for the educational “bang for the buck” they deliver. The Princeton Review has issued its “2013 Best Value Colleges,” and the University of Virginia claims the No. 1 spot, with the College of William & Mary taking No. 4.

Christopher Newport University, George Mason University, James Madison University, Longwood University, Radford University and Virginia Tech also made the list of the “Top 75,” which puts them in roughly the top quintile.

So, kudos to Virginia’s colleges and universities. By the pathetic standards of higher education generally, they are top grade. But the honors don’t change the fact that higher ed in Virginia is increasingly unaffordable, absorbing an ever-larger share of students’ family income, nor does it change the fact that the college-age wave is peaking and the number of applicants soon will recede, nor does it change the fact that online teaching models are emerging that will disrupt the entire industry. Still it is comforting to know that Virginia institutions will defy the undertow longer than most.