Petersburg, VA · Public · 5,074 undergraduates · suburban
Virginia State University
Less selective
Virginia State combines a land-grant HBCU mission with engineering, agriculture and professional programs close to the Richmond market.
Institutional profile
Established Strong in mobility, and solid in career outcomes.- Admission
- 89.1% admitted
- Price by income
- Resident and nonresident prices differ
- Completion
- 46.3%
10,577 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$45,543 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Virginia State University apart
Academic design
Six colleges span agriculture, business, education, engineering and technology, humanities and social sciences, and natural and health sciences.
Campus pattern
The 231-acre campus overlooks the Appomattox River near Petersburg and maintains a traditional residential HBCU atmosphere about twenty minutes south of Richmond.
Career & value signal
A 412-acre agricultural research facility extends the land-grant mission beyond classroom study and gives agriculture students substantial field infrastructure.
Can I get in?
89.1% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
10,577About 89 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 14% submitted an SAT, and 2% 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.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Virginia State University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Virginia 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
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Six colleges span agriculture, business, education, engineering and technology, humanities and social sciences, and natural and health sciences.
Make institutional fit specific
Virginia State combines a land-grant HBCU mission with engineering, agriculture and professional programs close to the Richmond market.
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.
Check eligibility for a fee waiver
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.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Virginia 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+
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.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
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
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Communication and Media Studies
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
What is campus life like?
Virginia State University beyond the classroom
The 231-acre campus overlooks the Appomattox River near Petersburg and maintains a traditional residential HBCU atmosphere about twenty minutes south of Richmond.
A defining academic feature
Six colleges span agriculture, business, education, engineering and technology, humanities and social sciences, and natural and health sciences.
What shapes an ordinary week
The 231-acre campus overlooks the Appomattox River near Petersburg and maintains a traditional residential HBCU atmosphere about twenty minutes south of Richmond.
Where the degree can lead
A 412-acre agricultural research facility extends the land-grant mission beyond classroom study and gives agriculture students substantial field infrastructure.