Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPublicHBCU

Norfolk State University

Norfolk, Virginia·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·nsu.edu
6-yr Graduation
38%
-5.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
6,053
peer median 6,254
Avg net price
$15,282
+$835 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeResearch fundingDocumentsAlumni

About

Norfolk State University (NSU) is a public historically black university in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Virginia High-Tech Partnership.

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

IPEDS
Applied
11,247
11,247 candidates competed
Admitted
9,871
87.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,305
13.2% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS
Overall completion
38%-5.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
15%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
39%
Full-time retention
73%

Pell equity

16.9pp gap
Pell recipients
34%264 of 778
Non-Pell (all)
51%146 of 287
Subsidized loan, no Pell
47%101 of 215
No Federal Aid
63%45 of 72

Non-Pell students graduate at a 16.9-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.

FVT/GE

Of 89 Title IV programs, 3 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 86 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
89
Passing
3
3.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

89programs
  • Passing3 · 3.4%
  • No Data86 · 96.6%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
3
No data
86

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.

3
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+29.3%
$59,973 vs $46,391
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+39.2%
$64,246 vs $46,158
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
Master's Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
+45.6%
$92,908 vs $63,816

Debt vs earnings

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

3
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
89%
$53,432 debt · $59,973 earn
Social Work
Master's Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
65%
$41,432 debt · $64,246 earn
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management
Master's Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
40%
$37,443 debt · $92,908 earn

Accreditation status & history

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

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1969Next review Jun 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 6

Action history · 17

  1. Jun 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Apr 2024Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Sep 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Jul 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  5. May 2023Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$12,804
$30–48k$13,905
$48–75k$15,507
$75–110k$17,972
$110k+$26,175

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

Avg net price
$15,282
+$835vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $14,448
Federal loans
63.9%
In-state tuition
$10,180
Out-of-state
$21,682

Federal aid volume & trends

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

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 4,049 students received $24.9M in Pell grants, alongside $38.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
4,049
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$24.9M
$24,901,398 total
Direct Loans
$38.6M
7,348 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
’20
3k
’21
4k
’22
4k
’23
4k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$11.3M
3,152 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$10.1M
3,122 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$6.3M
440 loan awards
Parent PLUS$10.4M
581 loan awards
Grad PLUS$528K
53 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.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 1,811 borrowers who entered repayment, 102 (5.6%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
5.6%
+3.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,811
Defaulted
102
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
11.3%
2017
12.7%
2018
11.5%
2019
5.6%
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 Norfolk State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs51
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

843 total completions
01Health Professions
14016.6%
02Psychology
12314.6%
03Business
11313.4%
04Public Admin
9911.7%
05Social Sciences
829.7%
06Communication
647.6%
07Computer Sciences
637.5%
08Multi/Interdisciplinary
617.2%
09Biological Sciences
505.9%
10Education
485.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
6,053
12-mo unduplicated
6,790
Undergraduate
5,931
Graduate
859

Gender split

Men
33%2,245
Women
67%4,545

Race / ethnicity composition

Black
80.2%
Non-resident
6.6%
Two or more
5.3%
Hispanic
4.7%
White
1.8%
Unknown
0.9%
Asian
0.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA
Athletes
367
247 M · 120 W
Women athletes
32.7%
Athletic aid
$5.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$24.8M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.4M
$1.7M
Recruiting expense
$88K
$60K
Head-coach salaries
$263K
$106K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 8

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
85 M · 79 W
$1.9M
Football
143 M · —
$7.1M
Baseball
35 M · —
$634K
Basketball
14 M · 12 W
$4.8M
Softball
— · 25 W
$645K
Volleyball
— · 22 W
$539K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

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

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
3.64
22 offenses · 6,045 students

3-year trend

2.202 yrs ago2.591 yr ago3.64Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
49
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
71
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
4
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
6

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
9
Fondling
9
Robbery
4

By location

22total
  • On campus14
  • Non-campus1
  • Public property7

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

3
Domestic violence
22
Dating violence
4
Stalking
29 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons66
Drugs175
Liquor731

Residence-hall fires

  • Babbette Smith South1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • Spartan Suites2 fires
    OtherDamage $0-$99
  • Spartan Suites2 fires
    OtherDamage $0-$99
  • New Residential Complex1 fire
    OtherDamage $0-$99

Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
15.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
229

Norfolk State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Norfolk State selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
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
SubjectNorfolk State University
38%—6,053$15,282Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Albany State University
33%73.0%6,768$11,898Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Angelo State University
44%83.0%11,542$15,091Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Augsburg University
52%82.0%3,249$23,873Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Augusta University
49%86.4%10,900$13,787R2 Research
Bowie State University
38%72.4%6,353$19,298Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Capital University
60%70.2%2,263$22,576Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Colorado State University Pueblo
40%94.9%6,851$10,051Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Columbus State University
43%99.1%7,913$13,115Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Coppin State University
26%45.8%2,210$9,977Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Delaware State University
39%46.6%5,327$13,910Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
East Central University
34%58.1%3,377$8,683Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Fayetteville State University
38%82.1%7,107$7,892Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Grambling State University
36%44.9%5,150$19,809Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Monmouth University
72%89.0%4,767$30,988Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
North Carolina Central University
42%87.0%8,579$15,359Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Northern Michigan University
53%84.0%7,409$14,085Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Prairie View A & M University
43%79.3%9,922$13,570R2 Research
Rhode Island College
48%91.8%6,155$9,478Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Southern University at New Orleans
13%78.9%2,468$14,810Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
SUNY Brockport
55%70.7%7,482$16,353Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Colorado Colorado Springs
47%97.4%11,354$15,788R2 Research
Western Connecticut State University
52%87.0%4,169$17,604Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Worcester State University
61%88.0%5,745$13,381Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median43%82.1%6,254$14,448

Institutions like Norfolk State

Explore the federal data for institutions in Norfolk State's comparison group.

IPEDS

Norfolk State Institutional Research office

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

Office
Institutional Research
Phone
757-823-8214
Address
700 Park Avenue Norfolk VA 23504

The page for Norfolk State University's Institutional Research does not include specific details such as the office mission, head contact, or physical address. It mentions 'Dashboards', 'Documents and Forms', 'University Factbook', and 'Data Governance' but provides no external links or further descriptions.

Visit IR office page
Team
2 members
  • Dr. James Walke
    Associate Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness and Planning
  • Ephraim J Bennett
    Director, Institutional Research

Research funding

External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.

NSF
NSF awards
$519,949
USA Spending
$102,181,008
All sources
$102,700,957

Reports & documents (3)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of Norfolk State (13)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Lamont Bagby
    Politics
  • Willard Bailey
    Athletics
  • Gordon Banks
    Music
  • Karen Briggs
    Music
  • Vincent Brothers
  • Maia Chaka
    Sports
  • Denise Dowse
    Entertainment
  • Georgia M. Dunston
    Science
  • Evelyn J. Fields
    Science
  • Jedidah Isler
    Astrophysics
  • Jawn Murray
    Journalism
  • Tim Reid
    Entertainment
Showing 1–12 of 13
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about Norfolk State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Norfolk State.

What is the graduation rate at Norfolk State University?

Norfolk State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 38% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Norfolk State University?

Norfolk State University reports a total enrollment of 6,053 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Norfolk State University?

The average net price at Norfolk State University is $15,282 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Norfolk State University?

Norfolk State University's yield rate is 13.2%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Norfolk State University located?

Norfolk State University is located in Norfolk, Virginia 23504-8000.

Who runs Institutional Research at Norfolk State University?

Norfolk State University's IR work is done by the 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.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
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.
U.S. Department of Education
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.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
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.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
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.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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