Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsPublic

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·cnu.edu
6-yr Graduation
72%
+30.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Total enrollment
4,454
peer median 3,322
Avg net price
$23,015
+$12k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
7,341
7,341 candidates competed
Admitted
6,316
86.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,140
18.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
72%+30.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
4-year graduation
64%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
72%
Full-time retention
81%

Pell equity

8.6pp gap
Pell recipients
64%93 of 145
Non-Pell (all)
73%786 of 1082
Subsidized loan, no Pell
69%205 of 298
No Federal Aid
74%581 of 784

Non-Pell students graduate at a 8.6-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 35 Title IV programs, 18 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 17 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
35
Passing
18
51.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

35programs
  • Passing18 · 51.4%
  • No Data17 · 48.6%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
2
Safe
16
No data
17

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

18
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+19.3%
$42,907 vs $35,969
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+22.7%
$56,921 vs $46,391
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+34.0%
$48,212 vs $35,969
History
Bachelor Degree · History
+45.8%
$52,458 vs $35,969
Linguistic Comparative and Related Language Studies and Services
Bachelor Degree · Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
+48.9%
$53,564 vs $35,969
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+49.0%
$53,600 vs $35,969
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+53.1%
$55,057 vs $35,969
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+54.0%
$55,379 vs $35,969

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

17
Visual and Performing Arts General
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
58%
$25,000 debt · $42,907 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
55%
$26,495 debt · $48,212 earn
History
Bachelor Degree · History
50%
$26,000 debt · $52,458 earn
Linguistic Comparative and Related Language Studies and Services
Bachelor Degree · Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics
49%
$26,165 debt · $53,564 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
47%
$26,000 debt · $55,379 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
45%
$25,000 debt · $55,057 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
45%
$25,000 debt · $55,657 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
45%
$25,455 debt · $56,921 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1971Next review Dec 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 2

Action history · 4

  1. Jun 2023Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Dec 2017Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
  4. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Theatre, Commission on Accreditation · Theatre (THEA) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$12,461
$30–48k$12,752
$48–75k$14,163
$75–110k$22,776
$110k+$30,584

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$23,015
+$11,764vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs median $11,251
Federal loans
36.7%
In-state tuition
$16,828
Out-of-state
$31,178

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 934 students received $5.5M in Pell grants, alongside $18.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
934
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$5.5M
$5,512,693 total
Direct Loans
$18.0M
2,669 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.2M
1,048 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.6M
1,174 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$391K
25 loan awards
Parent PLUS$8.7M
420 loan awards
Grad PLUS$15K
2 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 888 borrowers who entered repayment, 6 (0.6%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.6%
-1.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
888
Defaulted
6
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.6%
2017
1.3%
2018
0.9%
2019
0.6%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Christopher Newport

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs30
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

939 total completions
01Business
15316.3%
02Biological Sciences
15016.0%
03Psychology
13814.7%
04Social Sciences
13514.4%
05Communication
9510.1%
06Computer Sciences
909.6%
07Multi/Interdisciplinary
687.2%
08Visual/Performing Arts
495.2%
09Education
323.4%
10History
293.1%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
4,454
12-mo unduplicated
4,614
Undergraduate
4,519
Graduate
95

Gender split

Men
47%2,182
Women
53%2,432

Race / ethnicity composition

White
68.0%
Black
9.2%
Hispanic
9.2%
Two or more
6.0%
Asian
4.0%
Unknown
3.1%
Non-resident
0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
566
368 M · 198 W
Women athletes
35.0%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$13.3M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$23K
$20K
Head-coach salaries
$67K
$60K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 13

Football
132 M ·
$913K
Lacrosse
57 M · 29 W
$772K
Track and Field (Indoor)
47 M · 28 W
$259K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
47 M · 28 W
$259K
Soccer
32 M · 32 W
$683K
Baseball
50 M ·
$348K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
4.22
19 offenses · 4,503 students

3-year trend

7.642 yrs ago5.481 yr ago4.22Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
79
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
101
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
2
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
5
Aggravated assault
5
Burglary
3
Fondling
3
Robbery
2
Arson
1

By location

19total
  • On campus16
  • Non-campus1
  • Public property2

Includes 12 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
14
Dating violence
13
Stalking
27 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Ethnicity1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons30
Drugs44
Liquor11106

Residence-hall fires

  • Village Apartments1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
13.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
274

Christopher Newport vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Christopher Newport selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectChristopher Newport University
72%4,454$23,015Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
40%78.5%4,022$11,641Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
39%96.0%3,246$11,139Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
51%96.8%3,339$11,363Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
44%98.6%3,305$9,032Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
28%46.1%3,193$8,172Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Peer group median42%96.0%3,322$11,251

Institutions like Christopher Newport

Explore the federal data for institutions in Christopher Newport's comparison group.

Christopher Newport Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Email
ir [at] cnu.edu
Phone
757-594-7609
Address
Christopher Newport Hall

The Office of Institutional Research fosters institutional improvement by understanding university progress, and anticipating and meeting the decision-making needs of the administration by ensuring access to reliable, useful and quality data.

Visit IR office page
Team
2 members
  • Donna Varner
    Director of Institutional Research
  • Chris Zhang
    Institutional Research Analyst

Common Data Set

Christopher Newport's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
86.0%
Accessible
Yield
18.1%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
4,454
4,369 UG · 85 grad
6-yr graduation rate
72%
First-year retention
81%
Student–faculty ratio
13.49 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$21,273
after avg need-based grant
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
7,341
Admitted
6,316
Enrolled
1,140

7,341 applied → 6,316 admitted (86.0%) → 1,140 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
86.0%

Accessible — 86.0% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
men84.7%
women87.1%

Admit rate varies by gender.

Waitlist outcome

C2
Offered
378
Accepted spot
86
Admitted
36

378 offered a waitlist spot, 86 accepted it, 36 admitted (41.9% of those who stayed on).

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important2
Rigor of secondary school recordAcademic GPA
Important3
Application EssayExtracurricular activitiesCharacter/personal qualities
Considered10
Class rankStandardized test scoresRecommendation(s)Talent/abilityFirst generationAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceState residencyVolunteer workLevel of applicant’s interest
Not Considered3
InterviewReligious affiliation/commitmentWork experience

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$34,599
Tuition
$10,41730%
Fees
$6,80220%
Room & board
$12,75637%
Books
$1,6045%
Other
$3,0209%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $34,599 (2025-2026).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$34,599
Net (aided)
$21,273
Avg need grant
$13,326

Sticker $34,599 → about $21,273 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($13,326); 70% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
State all states, not only the state in which your institution is located52.7%
Federal37.2%
Institutional: Endowed scholarships, annual gifts and tuition funded grants, awarded by the college, excluding athletic aid and tuition waivers (which are reported below).9.9%
Scholarships/grants from external sources (e.g. Kiwanis, National Merit) not awarded by the college0.2%

0% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
49%
Avg debt
$36,265

49% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $36,265 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
72%
Retention
81%

6-year graduation rate 72%; first-year retention 81%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students72%
Pell recipients64%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 8 pts below the overall rate (64% vs 72%).

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students27
10-19 students262
20-29 students363
30-39 students57
40-49 students73
50-99 students30
100+ students1

36% of classes have under 20 students; 4% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
13.49 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
73%
Women faculty
44%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Biological/life sciences14%
Psychology14%
Social sciences14%
Business/marketing13%
Communication/journalism10%
Computer and information sciences7%
Interdisciplinary studies6%
Visual and performing arts5%

STEM-dominant: ~27% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic67.9%
Hispanic/Latino9.2%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic9.2%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic6.0%
Asian, non-Hispanic4.1%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown3.1%
Nonresidents0.4%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.0%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
16
Share
0%

0% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
4,36998%
Graduate
852%

4,369 undergraduates and 85 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
467
Admitted
329
Enrolled
187

467 transfer applicants → 329 admitted (70.5%) → 187 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about Christopher Newport University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Christopher Newport.

What is the graduation rate at Christopher Newport University?

Christopher Newport University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 72% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Christopher Newport University?

Christopher Newport University reports a total enrollment of 4,454 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Christopher Newport University?

The average net price at Christopher Newport University is $23,015 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Christopher Newport University?

Christopher Newport University's yield rate is 18.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Christopher Newport University located?

Christopher Newport University is located in Newport News, Virginia 23606-3072.

Who runs Institutional Research at Christopher Newport University?

Christopher Newport University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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