R1 ResearchPublicMedical

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, Virginia·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·vcu.edu
6-yr Graduation
63%
-14.0pp vs R1 Research
Total enrollment
28,464
peer median 28,771
Avg net price
$19,452
-$1.3k vs R1 Research
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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
20,954
20,954 candidates competed
Admitted
19,408
92.6% acceptance rate
Enrolled
4,190
21.6% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
63%-14.0pp vs R1 Research
4-year graduation
46%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
63%
Full-time retention
85%

Pell equity

4.0pp gap
Pell recipients
59%
Non-Pell
63%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 4.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

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

Of 205 Title IV programs, 76 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 129 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
205
Passing
76
37.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

205programs
  • Passing76 · 37.1%
  • No Data129 · 62.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
5
Watch
7
Safe
64
No data
129

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.

76
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+3.5%
$49,077 vs $47,421
Crafts/Craft Design Folk Art and Artisanry
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+3.6%
$37,253 vs $35,969
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+5.5%
$37,958 vs $35,969
Music
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+6.4%
$38,278 vs $35,969
Business Administration Management and Operations
Graduate Certificate · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+8.0%
$68,939 vs $63,816
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+16.0%
$70,577 vs $60,817
Ethnic Cultural Minority Gender and Group Studies
Bachelor Degree · Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies
+17.4%
$42,233 vs $35,969
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+18.9%
$61,300 vs $51,545

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

2
Fine and Studio Arts
Master's Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+3.5%
+$1,656
Crafts/Craft Design Folk Art and Artisanry
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+3.6%
+$1,284

Debt vs earnings

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

65
Medicine
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
191%
$193,369 debt · $101,335 earn
Dentistry
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
124%
$244,189 debt · $197,507 earn
Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences and Administration
First Professional Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
107%
$145,226 debt · $135,859 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
90%
$71,691 debt · $79,288 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
87%
$61,500 debt · $70,577 earn
Crafts/Craft Design Folk Art and Artisanry
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
73%
$27,000 debt · $37,253 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
70%
$41,000 debt · $58,540 earn
Business/Commerce General
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
69%
$74,427 debt · $108,337 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 1953Next review Jun 2030

Programmatic accreditations · 40

Action history · 75

  1. Sep 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Jan 2025Initial Accreditation
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Prosthodontics
  3. Dec 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Oct 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Professional Psychology (RPSY) - Postdoctoral residency programs
  5. Aug 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS)

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$12,830
$30–48k$13,612
$48–75k$16,455
$75–110k$20,633
$110k+$28,474

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

Avg net price
$19,452
-$1,330vs R1 Research median $20,782
Federal loans
41.7%
In-state tuition
$16,458
Out-of-state
$39,042

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 7,949 students received $47.6M in Pell grants, alongside $204.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
7,949
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$47.6M
$47,617,731 total
Direct Loans
$204.9M
19,305 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

7k
20
7k
21
7k
22
7k
23
8k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$28.4M
6,734 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$23.0M
6,687 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$76.3M
3,103 loan awards
Parent PLUS$36.9M
1,621 loan awards
Grad PLUS$40.2M
1,160 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 6,281 borrowers who entered repayment, 59 (0.9%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.9%
-1.4pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
6,281
Defaulted
59
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.1%
2017
4.5%
2018
2.6%
2019
0.9%
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 Virginia Commonwealth

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs162
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

5,761 total completions
01Health Professions
1,14719.9%
02Business
79213.7%
03Visual/Performing Arts
71512.4%
04Psychology
59710.4%
05Education
57810.0%
06Public Admin
4858.4%
07Biological Sciences
4487.8%
08Security/Protective
3746.5%
09Computer Sciences
3155.5%
10Social Sciences
3105.4%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
28,464
12-mo unduplicated
30,974
Undergraduate
22,932
Graduate
8,042

Gender split

Men
35%10,988
Women
65%19,986

Race / ethnicity composition

White
40.6%
Black
21.6%
Asian
14.2%
Hispanic
11.7%
Two or more
8.0%
Non-resident
1.8%
Unknown
1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
397
175 M · 222 W
Women athletes
55.9%
Athletic aid
$8.2M
Total student aid
Budget
$42.0M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$3.0M
$5.2M
Recruiting expense
$216K
$233K
Head-coach salaries
$414K
$166K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
109 M · 124 W
$2.9M
Soccer
39 M · 36 W
$2.7M
Basketball
13 M · 40 W
$12.6M
Baseball
42 M ·
$1.8M
Lacrosse
· 30 W
$1.3M
Field Hockey
· 20 W
$1.3M

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
6.77
190 offenses · 28,082 students

3-year trend

2.862 yrs ago10.141 yr ago6.77Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
563
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
719
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
20
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
7

Criminal offenses by type

Aggravated assault
57
Motor vehicle theft
52
Fondling
26
Rape
21
Burglary
17
Robbery
8
Arson
6
Murder
3

By location

190total
  • On campus112
  • Non-campus3
  • Public property75

Includes 35 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

29
Domestic violence
28
Dating violence
110
Stalking
167 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Ethnicity7
  • National origin2
  • Race1
  • Religion1
  • Gender identity1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons394
Drugs47112
Liquor33224

Residence-hall fires

  • Gladding Residence Center1 fire
    ElectricalDamage $0-$99
  • Cary & Belvidere Residential College1 fire
    Arson - paper burnt in hallwayDamage $0-$99
  • West Grace Street Student Housing - South2 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99
  • West Grace Street Student Housing - South2 fires
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Data quality: 9 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.

Student-to-faculty
17.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
2,118

Virginia Commonwealth vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Virginia Commonwealth 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
SubjectVirginia Commonwealth University
63%28,464$19,452R1 Research
University of Virginia-Main Campus
96%16.8%26,409$22,881R1 Research
Old Dominion University
46%90.4%23,743$14,170R1 Research
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
86%54.8%38,857$23,790R1 Research
George Mason University
68%87.5%39,766$18,287R1 Research
Clemson University
87%38.3%29,077$22,112R1 Research
Peer group median77%54.8%28,771$20,782

Frequently asked questions about Virginia Commonwealth University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Virginia Commonwealth.

What is the graduation rate at Virginia Commonwealth University?

Virginia Commonwealth University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 63% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Virginia Commonwealth University?

Virginia Commonwealth University reports a total enrollment of 28,464 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Virginia Commonwealth University?

The average net price at Virginia Commonwealth University is $19,452 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Virginia Commonwealth University?

Virginia Commonwealth University's yield rate is 21.6%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Virginia Commonwealth University located?

Virginia Commonwealth University is located in Richmond, Virginia 23284-2512.

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