Public · University

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, Virginia · Midsize city

#5 best value in Virginia
90.4%
Admit rate
$14,638
Avg net price
46%
Graduation rate
$54,914
Median earnings

Old Dominion University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Norfolk, Virginia (midsize city setting), enrolling 17,514 undergraduates.

PublicLarge · 17,514 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 90% admitNCAA Division I-FBS · Sun Belt ConferenceCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Old Dominion University's admitted students.

Admit rate
90.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
1100–1280
Avg GPA (est.)
3.41

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

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Old Dominion 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
3 miles to Norfolk, VA
To the ocean
1 mile
Nearest airport
6 miles to Norfolk (ORF) · major hub

How Old Dominion University compares

Selectivity90.4%

More selective than 23% · #33 most selective of 43 in Virginia

SAT average1197

Higher than 58%

Graduation rate46%

Higher than 32% · #35 of 49 in Virginia

First-year retention77%

Higher than 52%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$54,914

Higher than 53% · #23 of 51 in Virginia

Average net price$14,638

Cheaper than 74% · #5 cheapest of 47 in Virginia

Median debt at graduation$24,000

Lower than 45%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment17,514

Larger than 94%

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

Old Dominion University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

23,511students
  • Undergraduate17,51474%
  • Graduate5,99726%

Undergraduates by gender

17,514undergrads
  • Women10,54360%
  • Men6,97140%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White41%
  • Black32%
  • Hispanic11%
  • Asian5.4%
  • Other or multiracial11%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
17,514
Graduate enrollment
5,997
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
37%
First-generation students
33%
Students over 25
25%
Median family income
$38,020
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$95,247
Endowment
$319,812,987

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

Where students come from

Home state of the 2,717 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Virginia89%
  • Other U.S. states9.9%
  • International1.1%

Most first-years stay in state — Old Dominion University draws overwhelmingly from Virginia.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
90.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1100–1280
SAT average
1197
SAT reading
570–650
SAT math
530–630
ACT composite
24–29
Average GPA (estimated)
3.41

Cost

In-state tuition
$12,750
Out-of-state tuition
$33,780
Room & board
$14,878
Books & supplies
$1,800
Total cost of attendance
$29,446
Average net price
$14,638

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)
46%
Graduated on time (4 years)
26%
First-year retention
77%
Transferred to another college
25%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$46,732
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$54,914
Median debt at graduation
$24,000
Students with federal loans
41%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
48%

About 20% 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
26%
Low-income (Pell)
43%
First-generation
43%

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
4,790
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
27%
Housing charge (year)
$8,238
Meal plan (year)
$6,414
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FBS
Football conference
Sun Belt Conference
Varsity athletes
480 (257 men · 223 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 (12)

Football116
Soccer57
Swimming51
Rowing43
Baseball40
Lacrosse38
Basketball33
Field Hockey26
Sailing23
Volleyball20
Tennis17
Golf16

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
83
Property offenses (2022–2024)
56

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (23,743 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.

46reported offenses a year
28 violent a year19 property a year

By offense type, per year

Motor vehicle theft
13
Rape
11
Aggravated assault
10
Fondling
5.0
Burglary
5.0
Robbery
1.0
Statutory rape
0.3
Arson
0.3

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
$9,739
$30–48k
$10,114
$48–75k
$13,123
$75–110k
$16,940
$110k+
$23,567

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
$61,025

$13,123/year × about 4.7 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.

75%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$5,453
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 75% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,453. 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 3,023 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)
$54,914
Typical debt at graduation
$24,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
44%
Out-earn a HS grad
65%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

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
$50,800
Men
$62,609

Men out-earn women by $11,809 (23%) 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
3″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.36.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Norfolk S, VA US station (4.4 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 Old Dominion University

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

Colleges near Old Dominion 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.