40 Best colleges for Archaeology 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 Archaeology. A graph of 2.08M citations received by 78.7K academic papers made by 40 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 Archaeology

#40 in the United States

#44 in North America

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

2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg

For Archaeology

#48 in the United States

#53 in North America

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

3. George Mason University

Fairfax

For Archaeology

#79 in the United States

#95 in North America

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

4. Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond

For Archaeology

#112 in the United States

#134 in North America

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

5. Old Dominion University

Norfolk

For Archaeology

#136 in the United States

#160 in North America

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

6. College of William and Mary

Williamsburg

For Archaeology

#138 in the United States

#162 in North America

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

7. Marymount University

Arlington

For Archaeology

#175 in the United States

#202 in North America

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

8. University of Richmond

Richmond

For Archaeology

#248 in the United States

#283 in North America

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

9. James Madison University

Harrisonburg

For Archaeology

#258 in the United States

#293 in North America

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

10. Washington and Lee University

Lexington

For Archaeology

#428 in the United States

#478 in North America

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

11. Eastern Virginia Medical School

Norfolk

For Archaeology

#429 in the United States

#479 in North America

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

12. Radford University

Radford

For Archaeology

#484 in the United States

#536 in North America

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

13. Regent University

Virginia Beach

For Archaeology

#497 in the United States

#550 in North America

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

14. Christopher Newport University

Newport News

For Archaeology

#564 in the United States

#622 in North America

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

15. University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg

For Archaeology

#616 in the United States

#677 in North America

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

16. Liberty University

Lynchburg

For Archaeology

#642 in the United States

#704 in North America

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

17. Emory & Henry College

Emory

For Archaeology

#677 in the United States

#741 in North America

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

18. Hampton University

Hampton

For Archaeology

#760 in the United States

#827 in North America

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

19. Virginia State University

Petersburg

For Archaeology

#769 in the United States

#837 in North America

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

20. Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney

For Archaeology

#771 in the United States

#839 in North America

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

21. Norfolk State University

Norfolk

For Archaeology

#772 in the United States

#840 in North America

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

22. Virginia Military Institute

Lexington

For Archaeology

#773 in the United States

#841 in North America

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

23. Longwood University

Farmville

For Archaeology

#794 in the United States

#863 in North America

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

24. Shenandoah University

Winchester

For Archaeology

#803 in the United States

#872 in North America

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

25. University of Lynchburg

Lynchburg

For Archaeology

#821 in the United States

#890 in North America

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

26. Stratford University

Fairfax

For Archaeology

#838 in the United States

#908 in North America

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

27. Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar

For Archaeology

#879 in the United States

#951 in North America

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

28. Randolph-Macon College

Ashland

For Archaeology

#885 in the United States

#958 in North America

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

29. Roanoke College

Salem

For Archaeology

#898 in the United States

#971 in North America

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

30. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine

Blacksburg

For Archaeology

#992 in the United States

#1067 in North America

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

31. Virginia Wesleyan University

Virginia Beach

For Archaeology

#1069 in the United States

#1144 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Net Price: $21,267
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $29,923

32. Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg

For Archaeology

#1086 in the United States

#1161 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $25,021
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $32,378

33. Union Presbyterian Seminary

Richmond

For Archaeology

#1090 in the United States

#1165 in North America

Enrollment: 159
Male:Female: 33:67

34. Randolph College

Lynchburg

For Archaeology

#1149 in the United States

#1226 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 1155
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $21,668

35. Mary Baldwin University

Staunton

For Archaeology

#1179 in the United States

#1257 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $17,810
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $28,135

36. University of Virginia's College at Wise

Wise

For Archaeology

#1184 in the United States

#1262 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Average SAT: 1033
Average ACT: 20
Receiving Aid: 99%

37. Hollins University

Roanoke

For Archaeology

#1193 in the United States

#1271 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1245
Net Price: $22,605
Receiving Aid: 100%

38. Bridgewater College

Bridgewater

For Archaeology

#1212 in the United States

#1291 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Average SAT: 1190
Net Price: $11,316
Receiving Aid: 100%

39. University of Management and Technology

Arlington

For Archaeology

#1228 in the United States

#1308 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $8,987
Receiving Aid: 0%
Average Aid: $4,680

40. Ferrum College

Ferrum

For Archaeology

#1274 in the United States

#1357 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Net Price: $20,082
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $34,444

Closest to Virginia states to learn Archaeology

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
West Virginia	15	90
District of Columbia	9	59
North Carolina	38	30
Maryland	26	16
Pennsylvania	90	13
South Carolina	23	74
Ohio	52	19
New Jersey	23	25
Kentucky	21	61
Tennessee	29	60
Georgia	37	35
Indiana	31	31
New York	121	6
Connecticut	20	11
Rhode Island	9	65
Massachusetts	64	2
Alabama	24	99
Vermont	9	122
Illinois	65	10
Michigan	31	4
New Hampshire	10	84
Florida	45	20
Mississippi	11	140
Wisconsin	28	12
Missouri	34	45
Maine	12	159
Arkansas	16	128
Iowa	22	43
Louisiana	22	73
Minnesota	26	15
Kansas	11	81
Oklahoma	15	88
Nebraska	11	57
South Dakota	8	229
Texas	68	22
North Dakota	5	190
Colorado	19	46
New Mexico	7	92
Puerto Rico	11	389
Montana	4	143
Utah	10	44
Arizona	8	26
Idaho	6	146
Nevada	6	121
Washington	26	5
Oregon	16	54
California	111	1
Alaska	4	144
Hawaii	6	83