Each year, U.S. News & World Report publishes its rankings of colleges and universities from around the country. Here’s how Virginia fared:

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Mary Nguyen has $10,000 (and growing) in college debt. Does she regret it? Not a bit. Does she worry about paying it back? Yes. She taught herself the college financial aid process.

Each school has unique attributes to offer prospective students. Virginia is home to more than 40 residential colleges and universities, including some of the most historic institutions in the country.

Area campuses generate news all the time, with new programs, construction, awards and initiatives. Here is a roundup of news items submitted by the schools profiled in this section:

Colleges and universities are constantly creating new programs, or expanding facilities or just offering glimpses of campus life.

Another good rule of thumb to scholarship-seeking students is to concentrate your efforts at schools with healthy endowments. Hollins University, for example, is an all-girls school with a $110 million endowment. The school is generous with scholarships.