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Norfolk, VA · Public · 5,392 undergraduates · urban

Norfolk State University

Less selective

Norfolk State offers an urban HBCU education with a particularly useful position inside the defense, maritime and technology economy of Hampton Roads.

Campus image / Publicly hosted campus image

Institutional profile

Regionally focused Solid in mobility, and steady in career outcomes.
Academic Emerging Affordability Steady Career Steady Mobility Solid Experience Emerging
Academic standing Emerging
Affordability Steady
Career outcomes Steady
Mobility Solid
Student experience Emerging
Admission
87.5% admitted

10,211 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
43.1%

$44,666 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Norfolk State University apart

Academic design

More than 60 programs include computing, cybersecurity, engineering, business, health and liberal arts, supported by honors and research opportunities.

Campus pattern

The Norfolk campus combines traditional HBCU athletics and student organizations with the energy and employment base of a coastal metropolitan area.

Career & value signal

Naval installations, shipbuilding, defense contractors and port activity make Hampton Roads well suited to cybersecurity, engineering and logistics careers.

Can I get in?

87.5% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

10,211

About 87 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 87.5%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%840–1100
6801260
ACT middle 50%16–21
1324

Of admitted students, 3% submitted an SAT, and 1% submitted an ACT. Scores were rare in this class, so the SAT and ACT ranges say more about who volunteered one than about who was admitted.

Academic benchmarkLess selective

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Norfolk State University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Norfolk State University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

More than 60 programs include computing, cybersecurity, engineering, business, health and liberal arts, supported by honors and research opportunities.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Norfolk State offers an urban HBCU education with a particularly useful position inside the defense, maritime and technology economy of Hampton Roads.

03

Use the application route carefully

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.

Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionMar 15
Fee and waiver$25 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$30,050
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$15,000
Affordability profileSteady

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Norfolk State University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years43.1%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one72.3%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$44,666

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Psychology, General

Recent graduates112
Median earnings

Business/Commerce, General

Recent graduates84
Median earnings

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Recent graduates62
Median earnings

Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other

Recent graduates61
Median earnings

Biology, General

Recent graduates56
Median earnings

What is campus life like?

Norfolk State University beyond the classroom

The Norfolk campus combines traditional HBCU athletics and student organizations with the energy and employment base of a coastal metropolitan area.

Academics

A defining academic feature

More than 60 programs include computing, cybersecurity, engineering, business, health and liberal arts, supported by honors and research opportunities.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The Norfolk campus combines traditional HBCU athletics and student organizations with the energy and employment base of a coastal metropolitan area.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Naval installations, shipbuilding, defense contractors and port activity make Hampton Roads well suited to cybersecurity, engineering and logistics careers.

5,392 undergraduatesSoutheasturban settingCampus housing available