- For the last nine years, Expansion Management Magazine has rated secondary school districts to help employers predict the potential of future workers. The magazine gave Harrisonburg City Public Schools a gold, the highest rating, in its 1999 evaluations. It was one of only four Virginia school systems to earn the distinction.

- Blue Ridge Community College’s Center for Training and Development offers custom training for businesses. Jane Fuller, assistant director, says demand is on the rise, prompting a $1 million commitment by local governments toward a $3.5 million new building.

- Bridgewater College, a private liberal arts college founded in 1880, is the only Virginia college cited as a U.S. News and World Report best value for liberal arts colleges in the South. The college ranked No. 8 for value. Overall, it ranked No. 13 among best Southern liberal arts colleges.

- Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, founded in 1839, is the nation’s oldest state-supported military college.

- Massanutten Technical Center offers training at the high school and post-high school level for business and technical fields. It also offers apprenticeship programs for high school students in four areas: industrial electrician, maintenance mechanic, tool and die maker, and HVAC technician.

- James Madison University is the district’s largest four-year school, with about 15,000 students. It was No. 3 in U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of Southern universities.

- Eastern Mennonite University was No. 10 in U.S. News & World Report’s top 10 Southern liberal arts colleges. It offers four graduate degrees, including an MBA.

- Washington & Lee University ranks No. 14 in U.S. News & World Report’s list of top liberal arts colleges in the country.