Public · University

Norfolk State University

Norfolk, Virginia · Midsize city

87.8%
Admit rate
$15,282
Avg net price
39%
Graduation rate
$44,666
Median earnings

Norfolk State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Norfolk, Virginia (midsize city setting), enrolling 5,392 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

PublicMidsize · 5,392 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 88% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Mid-Eastern Athletic ConferenceCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Norfolk State University's admitted students.

Admit rate
87.8%
SAT (mid 50%)
823–1030
Avg GPA (est.)
2.70

Enter a test score to see where you land against Norfolk State University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Norfolk State University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Norfolk, Virginia

Norfolk is an independent city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. In the late sixteenth century, the area that is now Norfolk was inhabited by the Chesepian people, who referred to the land as "K'che-sepi-ack." According to historical accounts from William Strachy, the Chesepian settlements were destroyed by the Powhatan shortly before the establishment of Jamestown in 1607. In addition to its museums, Norfolk is the principal home for several major performing arts organizations. The city hosts numerous annual festivals and parades, many in Town Point Park or elsewhere in downtown. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
1 mile to Norfolk, VA
To the ocean
2 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Norfolk (ORF) · major hub

How Norfolk State University compares

Selectivity87.8%

More selective than 29% · #27 most selective of 43 in Virginia

SAT average927

Higher than 2%

Graduation rate39%

Higher than 20% · #40 of 49 in Virginia

First-year retention73%

Higher than 38%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$44,666

Higher than 23% · #39 of 51 in Virginia

Average net price$15,282

Cheaper than 72% · #6 cheapest of 47 in Virginia

Median debt at graduation$29,000

Lower than 5%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment5,392

Larger than 79%

Percentiles compare Norfolk State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Virginia.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

6,035students
  • Undergraduate5,39289%
  • Graduate64311%

Undergraduates by gender

5,392undergrads
  • Women3,62267%
  • Men1,77033%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White1.8%
  • Black80%
  • Hispanic4.7%
  • Other or multiracial13%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
5,392
Graduate enrollment
643
Student–faculty ratio
15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
65%
First-generation students
37%
Students over 25
14%
Median family income
$26,072
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$87,903
Endowment
$77,511,231

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
87.8%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
823–1030
SAT average
927
SAT reading
430–520
SAT math
393–510
ACT composite
16–22
Average GPA (estimated)
2.70

Cost

In-state tuition
$10,180
Out-of-state tuition
$21,682
Room & board
$11,591
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$26,633
Average net price
$15,282

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
39%
Graduated on time (4 years)
15%
First-year retention
73%
Transferred to another college
1%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$33,412
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$44,666
Median debt at graduation
$29,000
Students with federal loans
64%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
20%

About 23% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
15%
Low-income (Pell)
26%
First-generation
27%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,337
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
62%
Housing charge (year)
$7,542
Meal plan (year)
$3,748
Application fee
$25
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
438 (285 men · 153 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (8)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)164
Football143
Baseball35
Basketball26
Softball25
Volleyball22
Tennis17
Bowling6

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
24
Property offenses (2022–2024)
7

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (6,053 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

10reported offenses a year
8.0 violent a year2.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
4.0
Fondling
2.3
Burglary
1.3
Aggravated assault
1.0
Motor vehicle theft
1.0
Robbery
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$12,804
$30–48k
$13,905
$48–75k
$15,507
$75–110k
$17,972
$110k+
$26,175

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$76,172

$15,507/year × about 4.9 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

54%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$5,003
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 54% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,003. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,195 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$44,666
Typical debt at graduation
$29,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
65%
Out-earn a HS grad
46%

Typical debt would take roughly 6.5 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Weigh it value

The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$45,009
Men
$43,766

Women out-earn men by $1,243 (3%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
88°F
Winter low
32°F
Annual rain
53.3″
Annual snow
6.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.36.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Norfolk S, VA US station (2.4 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Norfolk State University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Norfolk State University side by side →

Colleges near Norfolk State University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.