Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPublicHBCULand-grant

Virginia State University

Petersburg, Virginia·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·vsu.edu
6-yr Graduation
39%
-1.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
5,605
peer median 6,048
Avg net price
$15,840
+$1.7k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium 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
11,775
11,775 candidates competed
Admitted
10,436
88.6% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,489
14.3% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

Overall completion
39%-1.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
24%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
39%
Full-time retention
69%

Pell equity

14.6pp gap
Pell recipients
35%231 of 656
Non-Pell (all)
50%135 of 272
Subsidized loan, no Pell
49%78 of 159
No Federal Aid
50%57 of 113

Non-Pell students graduate at a 14.6-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 59 Title IV programs, 22 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 37 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
59
Passing
22
37.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

59programs
  • Passing22 · 37.3%
  • No Data37 · 62.7%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
3
Safe
17
No data
37

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.

22
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+5.3%
$37,861 vs $35,969
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+5.5%
$54,395 vs $51,545
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+12.4%
$40,432 vs $35,969
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+13.7%
$40,896 vs $35,969
Political Science and Government
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+22.3%
$44,002 vs $35,969
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+29.3%
$46,514 vs $35,969
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
+34.5%
$48,362 vs $35,969
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
+35.2%
$48,624 vs $35,969

Debt vs earnings

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

21
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
98%
$64,734 debt · $66,322 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
77%
$31,000 debt · $40,432 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Master's Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
76%
$41,184 debt · $54,395 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
75%
$28,467 debt · $37,861 earn
Political Science and Government
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
71%
$31,000 debt · $44,002 earn
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
69%
$31,990 debt · $46,514 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
67%
$27,375 debt · $40,896 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
64%
$31,000 debt · $48,624 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 1933Next review Dec 2028

Programmatic accreditations · 6

Action history · 17

  1. Jun 2025Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Aug 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Jul 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  4. Jul 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  5. Jun 2024Grant 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.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$13,220
$30–48k$14,758
$48–75k$19,463
$75–110k$22,223
$110k+$25,508

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

Avg net price
$15,840
+$1,726vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $14,115
Federal loans
75.7%
In-state tuition
$10,043
Out-of-state
$22,650

Federal aid volume & trends

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

In AY 2024–25, 3,849 students received $24.1M in Pell grants, alongside $40.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,849
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$24.1M
$24,096,666 total
Direct Loans
$40.6M
6,884 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
20
3k
21
3k
22
3k
23
4k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$10.7M
2,833 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$8.9M
2,866 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$6.3M
368 loan awards
Parent PLUS$13.5M
731 loan awards
Grad PLUS$1.2M
86 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 1,619 borrowers who entered repayment, 87 (5.3%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
5.3%
+3.0pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,619
Defaulted
87
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
15.2%
2017
15.1%
2018
13.0%
2019
5.3%
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 State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs50
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

668 total completions
01Business
13920.8%
02Education
11417.1%
03Security/Protective
8012.0%
04Psychology
7110.6%
05Communication
598.8%
06Public Admin
456.7%
07Multi/Interdisciplinary
446.6%
08Biological Sciences
406.0%
09Computer Sciences
385.7%
10Engineering Tech
385.7%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

Fall total
5,605
12-mo unduplicated
6,500
Undergraduate
5,876
Graduate
624

Gender split

Men
40%2,629
Women
60%3,871

Race / ethnicity composition

Black
83.0%
Hispanic
6.2%
Two or more
5.3%
Unknown
2.0%
White
1.9%
Non-resident
1.1%
Asian
0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

Athletes
163
132 M · 31 W
Women athletes
19.0%
Athletic aid
$2.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$9.3M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.3M
$818K
Recruiting expense
$13K
$2K
Head-coach salaries
$85K
$54K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 11

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
96 M · 58 W
$793K
Football
132 M ·
$1.8M
Lacrosse
34 M · 22 W
$643K
Soccer
26 M · 20 W
$571K
Basketball
20 M · 15 W
$1.8M
Baseball
30 M ·
$141K

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
5.78
30 offenses · 5,190 students

3-year trend

8.842 yrs ago7.531 yr ago5.78Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
103
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
78
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
3
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
2

Criminal offenses by type

Aggravated assault
10
Rape
8
Fondling
7
Burglary
2
Motor vehicle theft
2
Arson
1

By location

30total
  • On campus28
  • Public property2

Includes 20 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
21
Dating violence
4
Stalking
26 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons154
Drugs1076
Liquor1124

Residence-hall fires

  • Williams Hall1 fire
    Machinery/IndustrialDamage $100-$999
  • Moore Hall1 fire
    Machinery/IndustrialDamage $100-$999

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.

Student-to-faculty
13.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
334

Virginia State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Virginia State 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 State University
39%5,605$15,840Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
61%90.2%4,612$19,066Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
39%87.8%6,053$15,282Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
54%90.8%6,043$12,947Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
41%68.4%6,163$8,365Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
33%73.0%6,768$11,898Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Peer group median40%87.8%6,048$14,115

Institutions like Virginia State

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

Virginia State Institutional Research office

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

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Reports to Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (OPIE)
Phone
804-524-5000
Address
1 Hayden Dr. Virginia State University, VA 23806

Institutional Research is responsible for the collection and analysis of data and presentation of information for use in planning, decision-making, and policy formulation at the University. It ensures the accuracy of vital University data and reports them to internal and external constituencies.

Visit IR office page
Team
4 members
  • Darrell Tyler
    Director of Institutional Research
  • Dr. Veronica Powell Shuford
    Assistant Vice Provost, Academic Success, Planning, Institutional Effectiveness, and Accreditation
  • Tanya A. Harris
    Senior Research Analyst, Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
  • Dr. Joan B. Johnson
    Institutional Effectiveness Administrator

Frequently asked questions about Virginia State University

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

What is the graduation rate at Virginia State University?

Virginia State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 39% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Virginia State University?

Virginia State University reports a total enrollment of 5,605 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Virginia State University?

The average net price at Virginia State University is $15,840 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Virginia State University?

Virginia State University's yield rate is 14.3%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Virginia State University located?

Virginia State University is located in Petersburg, Virginia 23806.

Who runs Institutional Research at Virginia State University?

Virginia State University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research, which reports to Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness (OPIE).

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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