30 Best colleges for Optical Engineering in Virginia

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Virginia ranked based on their research performance in Optical Engineering. A graph of 2.26M citations received by 66.7K academic papers made by 30 universities in Virginia was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Virginia

Charlottesville

For Optical Engineering

#52 in the United States

#57 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Average SAT: 1475
Average ACT: 34
Receiving Aid: 57%

2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg

For Optical Engineering

#53 in the United States

#58 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1365
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 67%

3. Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond

For Optical Engineering

#129 in the United States

#151 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1140
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 92%

4. Old Dominion University

Norfolk

For Optical Engineering

#139 in the United States

#162 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 94%

5. George Mason University

Fairfax

For Optical Engineering

#160 in the United States

#184 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 79%

6. College of William and Mary

Williamsburg

For Optical Engineering

#169 in the United States

#194 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Average SAT: 1465
Average ACT: 33
Receiving Aid: 55%

7. Marymount University

Arlington

For Optical Engineering

#212 in the United States

#241 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Net Price: $31,989
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $26,069

8. Norfolk State University

Norfolk

For Optical Engineering

#259 in the United States

#294 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 927
Average ACT: 19
Receiving Aid: 94%

9. Hampton University

Hampton

For Optical Engineering

#268 in the United States

#303 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 62%
Average SAT: 940
Average ACT: 18
Net Price: $27,428

10. Eastern Virginia Medical School

Norfolk

For Optical Engineering

#274 in the United States

#309 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 1,216
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1973

11. James Madison University

Harrisonburg

For Optical Engineering

#335 in the United States

#379 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 58%

12. University of Richmond

Richmond

For Optical Engineering

#386 in the United States

#433 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Average SAT: 1470
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $30,037

13. Christopher Newport University

Newport News

For Optical Engineering

#500 in the United States

#554 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1175
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 78%

14. Washington and Lee University

Lexington

For Optical Engineering

#624 in the United States

#680 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Average SAT: 1485
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $23,055

15. Emory & Henry College

Emory

For Optical Engineering

#636 in the United States

#693 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1137
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $21,446

16. Virginia Military Institute

Lexington

For Optical Engineering

#645 in the United States

#702 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1160
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 96%

17. Virginia State University

Petersburg

For Optical Engineering

#706 in the United States

#768 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 955
Average ACT: 17
Receiving Aid: 92%

18. Regent University

Virginia Beach

For Optical Engineering

#724 in the United States

#786 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $20,512

19. Radford University

Radford

For Optical Engineering

#772 in the United States

#835 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1050
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 96%

20. Stratford University

Fairfax

For Optical Engineering

#774 in the United States

#837 in North America

Net Price: $23,243
Receiving Aid: 58%
Average Aid: $4,605
Enrollment: 1,947

21. Roanoke College

Salem

For Optical Engineering

#805 in the United States

#868 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $26,044

22. Randolph-Macon College

Ashland

For Optical Engineering

#810 in the United States

#873 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1100
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $28,912

23. Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney

For Optical Engineering

#811 in the United States

#874 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Average SAT: 1140
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $29,717

24. Shenandoah University

Winchester

For Optical Engineering

#836 in the United States

#900 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $27,181
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,747

25. University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg

For Optical Engineering

#841 in the United States

#906 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1270
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 99%

26. Longwood University

Farmville

For Optical Engineering

#863 in the United States

#928 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 99%

27. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Blacksburg

For Optical Engineering

#871 in the United States

#936 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 2,617
Male:Female: 40:60

28. Liberty University

Lynchburg

For Optical Engineering

#874 in the United States

#939 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 99%
Net Price: $29,532
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $12,489

29. University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg

For Optical Engineering

#904 in the United States

#969 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Average SAT: 1105
Net Price: $23,845
Receiving Aid: 100%

30. Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar

For Optical Engineering

#926 in the United States

#992 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1205
Net Price: $21,322
Receiving Aid: 99%

Closest to Virginia states to learn Optical Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
West Virginia	7	119
District of Columbia	8	94
North Carolina	24	32
Maryland	21	11
Pennsylvania	68	18
South Carolina	15	81
Ohio	40	27
New Jersey	18	15
Kentucky	12	85
Tennessee	26	64
Georgia	26	14
Indiana	23	23
New York	92	9
Connecticut	18	29
Rhode Island	6	59
Massachusetts	50	2
Alabama	19	88
Vermont	4	148
Illinois	41	8
Michigan	26	5
New Hampshire	8	95
Florida	31	30
Mississippi	10	137
Wisconsin	23	16
Missouri	18	48
Maine	7	183
Arkansas	11	114
Iowa	11	46
Louisiana	19	79
Minnesota	19	25
Kansas	9	99
Oklahoma	11	97
Nebraska	7	83
South Dakota	7	246
Texas	55	13
North Dakota	3	193
Colorado	16	33
New Mexico	6	70
Puerto Rico	9	264
Montana	3	147
Utah	7	36
Arizona	5	20
Idaho	4	166
Nevada	3	126
Washington	17	10
Oregon	15	84
California	80	1
Alaska	3	201
Hawaii	4	124