Best General Studies Schools Near Waynesboro, VA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Waynesboro, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $5,646 to $58,702 per year for indexed programs. Waynesboro has a population of about 22,574. Median household income is $56,364 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is Social and Community Service Managers at a median $97,060 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Waynesboro

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Waynesboro, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Waynesboro city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Waynesboro. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Mary Baldwin University

Staunton, VA 10.9 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,427
Avg net price $12,756/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 21.8 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,863
Avg net price $21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, VA 21.8 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 92%
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,453
Avg net price $17,800/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,090
Out‑of‑state$16,090
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 25.6 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,954
Avg net price $23,322/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA 27.9 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,869
Avg net price $24,588/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Southern Virginia University

Buena Vista, VA 33.3 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
34.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 48%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,002
Avg net price $22,213/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar, VA 36.6 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
42.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,943
Avg net price $17,758/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Randolph College

Lynchburg, VA 46.0 miles from Waynesboro
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
52.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,409
Avg net price $15,921/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 72%
  • Programs offered: 27

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Virginia schools on the Virginia general studies page.

General Studies Wages Near Waynesboro

Waynesboro is part of the Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA metro area (BLS area code 44420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Managers $96,450 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA $105,873
Management Analysts $91,790 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA $100,757
Human Resources Specialists $65,540 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA $71,943
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $69,660 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA $76,465
Writers and Authors $85,000 VA statewide $93,304
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $72,990 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA $80,121
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $61,850 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA $67,892
Social and Community Service Managers $97,060 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA $106,542

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Waynesboro at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 22,574 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $56,364 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 26.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 91.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Waynesboro-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Waynesboro, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Waynesboro. The closest is Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, VA (10.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Piedmont Virginia Community College (23.1 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Waynesboro?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Waynesboro are: Social and Community Service Managers ($97,060), General and Operations Managers ($96,450), Management Analysts ($91,790). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Staunton instead of Waynesboro?

Staunton, VA is 10.8 miles from Waynesboro and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Waynesboro an affordable place to study general studies?

Waynesboro’s median household income of $56,364 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waynesboro while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Waynesboro

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Waynesboro:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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