Virginia has a lot of things going for it: four distinct seasons, diverse climates and countryside, thriving economic centers, strong colleges and universities, and rich and interesting historic sites and museums.
However, now Virginia has another feather in its cap. A new Forbes survey of all 50 states ranks Virginia as the Best State for Business:
Four hundred years after Captain John Smith established the first permanent English colony in Jamestown, the Commonwealth of Virginia is leading the way once again. Virginia grabbed the top spot in Forbes.com's first ever Top States for Business thanks to its strong economic growth, low business costs and excellent quality of life.
In fact, Virginia dominated the rankings in each of the six examined categories: business costs, economic climate, growth prospects, labor, quality of life, and regulatory environment.
As for institutions of higher education:
One of Virginia's strongest attributes is its two highly ranked institutions of higher education. The University of Virginia and College of William and Mary spit out up to 5,000 graduates a year, many of whom stay in-state. They help contribute to Virginia's college attainment rate of 34% which is the seventh highest in the country. Life sciences businesses have popped up in and around Charlottesville because of UVA's highly rated medical school.
In addition to UVA and the College of William and Mary, Virginia also boasts the well-known Virginia Tech university, the growing George Mason university, Virginia Commonwealth University (the largest university in the state), and a College that Changes Lives, Lynchburg College.
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