Public · University

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia · Large suburb

88.6%
Admit rate
$15,840
Avg net price
39%
Graduation rate
$45,543
Median earnings

Virginia State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Petersburg, Virginia (large suburb setting), enrolling 5,074 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

PublicMidsize · 5,074 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 89% admitNCAA Division II with football · Central Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
88.6%
SAT (mid 50%)
840–1070
Avg GPA (est.)
2.75

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

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

About Petersburg, Virginia

Petersburg is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. When the English arrived in Virginia in 1607, the region was occupied by the Appamatuck, a significant tribe of the Powhatan Confederacy. They were governed by a weroance, King Coquonosum, and by his sister, Queen Oppussoquionuske. Since the departure of the tobacco company Brown & Williamson, Petersburg has invested heavily in historic preservation of its rich range of architecture. The city's numerous 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century structures in its historic neighborhoods provide unique character of place. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
21 miles to Richmond, VA
To the ocean
10 miles
Nearest airport
19 miles to Richmond (RIC) · major hub

How Virginia State University compares

Selectivity88.6%

More selective than 27% · #28 most selective of 43 in Virginia

SAT average948

Higher than 3%

Graduation rate39%

Higher than 22% · #38 of 49 in Virginia

First-year retention69%

Higher than 29%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$45,543

Higher than 25% · #36 of 51 in Virginia

Average net price$15,840

Cheaper than 69% · #7 cheapest of 47 in Virginia

Median debt at graduation$26,500

Lower than 20%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment5,074

Larger than 78%

Percentiles compare Virginia 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

5,555students
  • Undergraduate5,07491%
  • Graduate4819%

Undergraduates by gender

5,074undergrads
  • Women2,84656%
  • Men2,22844%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White1.9%
  • Black83%
  • Hispanic6.2%
  • Other or multiracial8.6%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
5,074
Graduate enrollment
481
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
72%
First-generation students
34%
Students over 25
8%
Median family income
$30,103
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$85,221
Endowment
$95,582,360

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 1,448 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Virginia66%
  • Other U.S. states33%
  • International1.0%

A regional draw: about 66% of first-years come from Virginia, the rest from elsewhere.

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
88.6%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
840–1070
SAT average
948
SAT reading
440–550
SAT math
400–520
ACT composite
14–20
Average GPA (estimated)
2.75

Cost

In-state tuition
$10,043
Out-of-state tuition
$22,650
Room & board
$13,355
Books & supplies
$1,300
Total cost of attendance
$27,661
Average net price
$15,840

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)
24%
First-year retention
69%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$33,630
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$45,543
Median debt at graduation
$26,500
Students with federal loans
76%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
21%

About 15% 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
24%
Low-income (Pell)
40%
First-generation
42%

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
4,015
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
79%
Housing charge (year)
$7,474
Meal plan (year)
$5,492
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
514 (352 men · 162 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 (11)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)154
Football132
Lacrosse56
Soccer46
Basketball35
Baseball30
Softball16
Volleyball16
Tennis13
Golf9
Bowling7

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
5.2 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
62
Property offenses (2022–2024)
26

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (5,605 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.

29reported offenses a year
21 violent a year8.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault
9.0
Burglary
6.0
Rape
5.7
Fondling
4.3
Motor vehicle theft
2.3
Robbery
1.7
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
$13,220
$30–48k
$14,758
$48–75k
$19,463
$75–110k
$22,223
$110k+
$25,508

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
$89,022

$19,463/year × about 4.6 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.

62%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$3,036
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 62% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $3,036. 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 1,376 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)
$45,543
Typical debt at graduation
$26,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
58%
Out-earn a HS grad
48%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.8 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
$44,912
Men
$47,120

Men out-earn women by $2,208 (5%) 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
89°F
Winter low
28°F
Annual rain
47″
Annual snow
3.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Petersburg, VA US station (1.5 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 Virginia State University

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

Colleges near Virginia 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.