Virginia’s college students may have registered to vote in unprecedented numbers this year, but many won’t have their campus newspapers suggesting who to vote for. Newspapers have a long tradition of endorsing candidates but some college editors said picking candidates is not part of the role they play.

The picturesque campus, nestled in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, is the ideal setting for students, faculty and staff members to begin to learn what it means to live the JMU mission statement as “educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.”

Class sizes will increase while course offerings decrease at Virginia Commonwealth University. The University of Virginia will defer maintenance on its historic grounds. And Christopher Newport University will close its study-abroad center in the Czech Republic next semester. Those are just a few of the ways Virginia’s colleges and universities will accommodate budget reductions announced Thursday by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

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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Granted, this is college, not first grade. But somehow, all the rules and bits of advice seem to be the same: Pay attention to the teacher. Share the toys and don’t fight. Don’t lose your lunch money. Admit when you need help.