3
Programs Ranked
$40,999
Avg Tuition
$139,350
HR Manager Salary (VA)
1
SHRM-Aligned
Virginia has 3 ranked bachelor's HR programs led by Regent University (SHRM-aligned, ACBSP-accredited). The state's 25 Fortune 500 headquarters and 2025 legislative activity (noncompete ban expansion, healthcare workplace violence mandate) make Virginia one of the most legally dynamic HR environments in the Southeast. HR generalists here manage defense contractor compliance, federal workforce regulations, and evolving state employment law simultaneously.
Bachelor's in Human Resources Programs in Virginia: Overview
Virginia offers 3 accredited bachelor's programs in human resources, according to IPEDS 2023 data. Regent University leads with SHRM-aligned curriculum and ACBSP accreditation. Despite the small number of dedicated HR programs, Virginia's business schools produce large volumes of management graduates who enter HR roles through broader business degree pathways.
The state's regulatory environment shifted significantly in 2025. Virginia's noncompete ban now extends to all FLSA non-exempt employees effective July 1, 2025, regardless of weekly earnings. Previously, only workers earning below $76,081/year (Virginia's average weekly wage threshold) were protected. Employers face civil penalties of $10,000 per violation, and employees can bring private causes of action. HR generalists need to audit every existing employment agreement for compliance.
Virginia also enacted healthcare workplace violence reporting requirements (HB 2269/SB 162) effective July 1, 2025, requiring healthcare employers to document, track, and analyze workplace violence incidents with records maintained for at least two years. For HR professionals at Inova Health, Sentara Healthcare, and other Virginia health systems, this creates new compliance workflows around incident reporting, de-escalation training, and risk assessment documentation.
A bachelor's degree in Human Resources positions graduates to navigate this multi-layered regulatory landscape. Entry-level specialists start around $56,000 statewide, while HR managers in Northern Virginia earn $136,000-$150,000 annually.
Source: Fairfax County EDA, 2025
NoVA vs. Richmond vs. Hampton Roads: HR Generalist Market
HR Careers by Virginia Industry
General Dynamics (Reston, $31B+ annual revenue), Northrop Grumman (Falls Church), Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, SAIC, and CACI International are all headquartered in Fairfax County. HR generalists at these employers manage security-cleared workforces, federal contractor affirmative action plans (OFCCP), and multi-state employment compliance across government contract sites.
Key Skills
Common Roles
- HR Generalist
- Employee Relations Specialist
- Compliance Analyst
- Talent Acquisition Specialist
Capital One (Fortune 500 No. 82, Tysons) employs over 50,000 people. Freddie Mac (No. 38, Tysons) adds another major financial services employer. Tech-adjacent roles at these companies involve compensation benchmarking against Silicon Valley competitors, hybrid work policy design, and managing high-turnover engineering teams.
Key Skills
Common Roles
- Compensation Analyst
- HR Business Partner
- Recruiter
- Total Rewards Specialist
Virginia's state government employs 100,000+ workers managed under the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM). Inova Health System and Sentara Healthcare are among the state's largest private employers. The 2025 healthcare workplace violence mandate adds new compliance requirements for hospital HR teams.
Key Skills
Common Roles
- HR Manager
- Employee Relations Manager
- Credentialing Specialist
- Benefits Administrator
Regent University
Why #1: Regent University
SHRM-aligned and ACBSP-accredited with flexible delivery options. The only Virginia bachelor's program with both SHRM alignment and business school accreditation.
Regent University offers SHRM-aligned HR curriculum with ACBSP accreditation, available online, on campus, and in hybrid format. No GRE required for admission. The program scored 64.9/100 on the HR Program Quality Index.
Program Highlights
- SHRM-aligned curriculum
- ACBSP-accredited business school
- Online/campus/hybrid delivery
- No GRE required
- 21 annual HR graduates (IPEDS 2023)
Key Strengths
- SHRM-aligned curriculum
- ACBSP-accredited
- Flexible delivery
- No GRE required
Sources
University of Richmond
Why #2: University of Richmond
96% graduation rate, 90 annual graduates, and practitioner faculty provide a high-quality, personalized HR education.
University of Richmond offers HR-related business degrees through the Robins School of Business. With a 96% graduation rate and 90 annual HR graduates, it produces the largest HR pipeline in the state. Small cohorts of 12-15 students with practitioner faculty.
Program Highlights
- 96% graduation rate
- 90 annual HR graduates (IPEDS 2023)
- Small cohorts 12-15
- Practitioner faculty
Key Strengths
- 96% graduation rate
- Largest HR pipeline in VA
- Practitioner faculty
- Small cohorts
Eastern Mennonite University
Why #3: Eastern Mennonite University
Faith-based business program integrating HR coursework for students seeking values-driven education.
Eastern Mennonite University offers HR-related coursework within its BS in Business program. Located in the Shenandoah Valley, the faith-based institution produces 23 annual HR graduates with a values-driven educational approach.
Program Highlights
- Faith-based institution
- HR coursework within BS Business
- 23 annual HR graduates (IPEDS 2023)
Key Strengths
- Values-driven education
- HR coursework within business degree
- Shenandoah Valley location
| 1 | Regent University | Virginia Beach, VA | Private | $18,986 | 6400% | 21 | 64.9 | true | false | true |
| 2 | University of Richmond | University of Richmond, VA | Private | $62,600 | 9600% | 90 | 54 | false | false | false |
| 3 | Eastern Mennonite University | Harrisonburg, VA | Private | $41,410 | — | 23 | 28.8 | false | false | false |
Career Paths
Handles recruitment, onboarding, and employee relations for defense contractors and tech employers across Northern Virginia's Fortune 500 corridor.
Leads HR operations at defense, finance, and healthcare employers, managing noncompete compliance, security clearance policies, and multi-state workforce issues.
Designs pay structures that compete with D.C. metro salaries at Capital One, Freddie Mac, and government contractors.
Sources cleared candidates for defense employers, managing pipelines where security clearance status is a primary filter.
Builds compliance training programs covering noncompete rules, workplace violence prevention, and security awareness.
Salary by Experience Level
Virginia HR Bachelor's Programs FAQ
Bachelor's in Human Resources Programs in Nearby States
IPEDS 2023, SHRM Academic Alignment, AACSB, ACBSP
HR degree completions from IPEDS 2023 (sqrt normalized, cap 300)
SHRM-aligned curriculum (+15 pts) and AACSB (+10) or ACBSP (+5)
6-year graduation rate from IPEDS 2023
Carnegie 2021 classification
Completeness of IPEDS reporting
Data Sources & Methodology
Rankings based on program output (30%), curriculum quality (25%), student success (25%), institutional resources (15%), and data transparency (5%).
- 1.IPEDS 2023 — Program completions, tuition, and graduation rates
- 2.Bureau of Labor Statistics OES 2024 — HR occupation salaries
- 3.SHRM — HR curriculum standards
Last updated: March 2026
Related HR Bachelor's Degree Resources
Taylor Rupe
Education Researcher & Data Analyst
B.A. Psychology, University of Washington · B.S. Computer Science, Oregon State University
Taylor combines training in behavioral science with data analysis to evaluate HR education programs. His research methodology uses IPEDS completion data, BLS employment statistics, and SHRM alignment data to produce evidence-based program rankings.