Large state schools continue to attract the attention of Arlington grads. Arlington’s Class of 2026 submitted thousands of college applications last year, with a heavy emphasis on these top 20 schools (a list that, not surprisingly, includes many Virginia colleges and universities). Where were last year’s seniors most inclined to apply outside the Commonwealth?
The following list of out-of-state colleges and universities was drawn from data provided by Wakefield High School, Washington-Liberty High School, Yorktown High School, H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program, Arlington Tech and the Arlington Career Center (ACC), which houses several full-time programs including the Academic Academy, the Program for Employment Preparedness (PEP) and the English Language Institute. Tuition and enrollment data are sourced from USNews.com.
Note: Given that the acceptance data below was self-reported by APS students, school officials stress that they cannot verify its accuracy.
20. Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 80
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 65
Tuition & Fees: $46,094
Enrollment: 41,415
19. Fordham UniversityÂ
New York, NY
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 82
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 51
Tuition & Fees: $70,474
Enrollment: 10,383
18. University of Georgia
Athens, GA
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 92
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 40
Tuition & Fees: $33,298
Enrollment: 32,824
17. Purdue University—Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 92
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 61
Tuition & Fees: $$28,794
Enrollment: 43,633
16. New York University
New York, NY
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 92
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 22
Tuition & Fees: $68,576
Enrollment: 29,471
15. American University
Washington, D.C.Â
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 92
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 63
Tuition & Fees: $64,402
Enrollment: 6,730
14. University of Tennessee—Knoxville
Knoxville, TN
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 110
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 74
Tuition & Fees: $34,136
Enrollment: 32,041
13. The University of Wisconsin—Madison
Madison, WIÂ
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 111
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 63
Tuition & Fees: $45,931
Enrollment: 39,193
12. University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NCÂ
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 112
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 15
Tuition & Fees: $49,601
Enrollment: 22,007
11. The University of Maryland—College Park
College Park, MDÂ
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 118
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 49
Tuition & Fees: $44,086
Enrollment: 31,875
10. Indiana University—Bloomington
Bloomington, IN
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 121
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 103
Tuition & Fees: $42,703
Enrollment: 38,463
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 129
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 66
Tuition & Fees: $72,700
Enrollment: 17,130
8. University of Colorado—Boulder
Boulder, COÂ
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 134
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 108
Tuition & Fees: $44,748
Enrollment: 34,101
7. The George Washington UniversityÂ
Washington, D.C.Â
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 134
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 59
Tuition & Fees: $72,420
Enrollment: 11,495
6. University of Michigan—Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 136
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 19
Tuition & Fees: $69,447
Enrollment: 35,358
5. Clemson University
Chapel Hill, NCÂ Â
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 137
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 83
Tuition & Fees: $42,852
Enrollment: 24,060Â
4. University of Delaware
Newark, DEÂ Â
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 142
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 115
Tuition & Fees: $45,020
Enrollment: 19,519
3. University of South Carolina—Columbia
Columbia, SCÂ
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 149
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 91
Tuition & Fees: $38,498
Enrollment: 31,845
2. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PAÂ Â
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 276
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 239
Tuition & Fees: $45,480
Enrollment: 21,388
1. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PAÂ
APS Class of 2026 Applied: 363
APS Class of 2026 Accepted: 316
Tuition & Fees: $45,214
Enrollment: 42,822
