Public · University
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia · Midsize city
- 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.
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
More selective than 23% · #33 most selective of 43 in Virginia
Higher than 58%
Higher than 32% · #35 of 49 in Virginia
Higher than 52%
Higher than 53% · #23 of 51 in Virginia
Cheaper than 74% · #5 cheapest of 47 in Virginia
Lower than 45%
Lower than 50%
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
- Undergraduate17,51474%
- Graduate5,99726%
Undergraduates by gender
- 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)
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)
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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$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.
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.
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.
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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Norfolk S, VA US station (4.4 mi from campus).
What Old Dominion University graduates study — and earn
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 →
Utah State University
Logan, Utah · Small city · 68 mi to Salt Lake City
- Students
- 20,272
- Admission
- 92%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1187
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $54k
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina · Small city · 72 mi to Raleigh
- Students
- 19,896
- Admission
- 89%
- Net price
- $16k
- SAT
- 1180
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $55k
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina · Distant town · 65 mi to Asheville
- Students
- 19,444
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1214
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $52k
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska · Large city · < 1 mi to Lincoln
- Students
- 19,178
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1191
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $57k
University of Mississippi
University, Mississippi · Remote town · 61 mi to Memphis
- Students
- 21,473
- Admission
- 97%
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- 1184
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $51k
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana · Small city · 50 mi to Indianapolis
- Students
- 13,988
- Admission
- 86%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1160
- GPA
- 3.3
- Earnings
- $52k
Colleges near Old Dominion University
Tidewater Community College
Norfolk, VA · Public · Associate · 12,082 students
Norfolk State University
Norfolk, VA · Public · Bachelor's · 5,392 students
Tidewater Tech-Trades
Norfolk, VA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 367 students
Centura College-Norfolk
Norfolk, VA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 163 students
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Norfolk
Norfolk, VA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 270 students
Tidewater Tech-East Little Creek
Norfolk, VA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 133 students
Central School of Practical Nursing
Norfolk, VA · Public · Certificate · 24 students
Virginia Wesleyan University
Virginia Beach, VA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,256 students
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.













