City: Fredericksburg, VA

Category: Education

Telephone: (540) 654-1000

Address: 1301 College Avenue

Description: Thanks to the Virginia Railway Express and a large stock of affordable housing, Fredericksburg has become an exurb of Metro Washington. That being the case, we thought it only appropriate to include in this list the city’s academic pride and joy: the University of Mary Washington (named for George’s mother). This publicly funded coed college is consistently rated among the nation’s top regional liberal arts schools and one of the best buys in higher education. Undergrads number approximately 4,000. Students seem to migrate to the school’s psychology, business, and English departments. Bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in liberal studies are offered to working professionals. MWC’s lush, tree-lined 176-acre campus is a recruiting tool in itself.