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Radford, VA · Public · 6,038 undergraduates · town

Radford University

Less selective

Radford is a hands-on public university with a strong professional tilt and an Appalachian setting that keeps campus life compact and outdoors-oriented.

Campus image / Varsity Tutors

Institutional profile

Established Solid in career outcomes, and solid in affordability.
Academic Emerging Affordability Solid Career Solid Mobility Solid Experience Steady
Academic standing Emerging
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Solid
Mobility Solid
Student experience Steady
Admission
90.6% admitted

11,072 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
60.5%

$53,739 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Radford University apart

Academic design

Health sciences, education, business, nursing, communication, arts and sciences are organized around career preparation, undergraduate research and applied learning.

Campus pattern

The campus sits beside the New River and Blue Ridge region, with hiking, climbing and other outdoor recreation close to a traditional college-town environment.

Career & value signal

Its New River Valley location balances small-city campus life with access to the broader Roanoke–Blacksburg economy and technology corridor.

Can I get in?

90.6% admitted

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

Recent applicant pool

11,072

About 91 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 90.6%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%950–1170
8001320
ACT middle 50%19–26
1431

Of admitted students, 19% submitted an SAT, and 3% submitted an ACT. Very few of the admitted class reported a score at all, so the SAT and ACT ranges describe those students rather than the class.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA19.1%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

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

See where I land

In the season card

What Radford 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

Health sciences, education, business, nursing, communication, arts and sciences are organized around career preparation, undergraduate research and applied learning.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Radford is a hands-on public university with a strong professional tilt and an Appalachian setting that keeps campus life compact and outdoors-oriented.

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 DecisionFeb 1
Fee and waiverNo application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

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$33,453
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$15,000
Affordability profileSolid

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 Radford 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 years60.5%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one74.1%

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$53,739

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.

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Recent graduates118
Median earnings$67,246

Admits separately

Criminal Justice and Corrections

Recent graduates116
Median earnings$56,996

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other

Recent graduates111
Median earnings$50,057

Psychology, General

Recent graduates104
Median earnings$48,935

What is campus life like?

Radford University beyond the classroom

The campus sits beside the New River and Blue Ridge region, with hiking, climbing and other outdoor recreation close to a traditional college-town environment.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Health sciences, education, business, nursing, communication, arts and sciences are organized around career preparation, undergraduate research and applied learning.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The campus sits beside the New River and Blue Ridge region, with hiking, climbing and other outdoor recreation close to a traditional college-town environment.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Its New River Valley location balances small-city campus life with access to the broader Roanoke–Blacksburg economy and technology corridor.

6,038 undergraduatesSoutheasttown setting87% of first-year students live on campus