More selective than 42% of Virginia colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $33,766. College Scorecard.
Higher than 77% of Virginia colleges we cover and 81% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 68% of Virginia colleges we cover and 71% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
CNU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,062 applicants, Christopher Newport University admitted 6,212 and 1,163 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1060–1290 on the SAT or 25–30 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
CNU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Virginia residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
CNU majors, earnings & careers
Christopher Newport University offers 22 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 5
- Science & Math · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Arts & Design · 2
- Business & Finance · 2
- Engineering · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at CNU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $101,900 | $22,250 |
| Information Science / Studies | $88,842 | $26,000 |
| Business Administration | $81,840 | $24,250 |
| Economics | $75,365 | $23,125 |
| Chemistry | $66,171 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $65,241 | $23,250 |
| Music | $63,852 | — |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $62,828 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 22 majors
- Biology$55,657
- Business Administration$81,840
- Chemistry$66,171
- Communications$57,254
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science$101,900
- Economics$75,365
- Electrical Engineering—
- English$55,379
- History$52,458
- Information Science / Studies$88,842
- Linguistics$53,564
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$62,828
- Music$63,852
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Political Science$65,241
- Psychology$53,600
- Social Work$48,212
- Sociology$55,057
- Visual and Performing Arts$42,907
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Virginia Beach
Overall prices in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,667. Housing costs about the U.S. average for housing.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, 3 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Newport News City
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Newport News City at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare CNU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Virginia by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Newport University | 86% | $23,015 | 72% | $60,509 | This school |
| University of Mary Washington | 80% | $20,667 | 66% | $60,613 | |
| Longwood University | 90% | $19,066 | 61% | $52,347 | |
| Virginia State University | 89% | $15,840 | 39% | $45,543 | |
| Radford University | 90% | $14,578 | 49% | $53,739 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Christopher Newport University would cost you $2,348 more per year than University of Mary Washington, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Christopher Newport University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$2,188).
- Christopher Newport University gives aided families $281 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Virginia resident | CNU | University of Mary Washington | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $16,828 | $14,640 | +$2,188 |
| Books & supplies | $1,516 | $1,200 | +$316 |
| Housing & meals | $12,360 | $14,040 | −$1,680 |
| Personal & travel | $4,296 | $2,750 | +$1,546 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,234 | −$1,493 | +$259 |
| Sticker price | $33,766 | $31,137 | +$2,629 |
| Average grants | −$10,751 | −$10,470 | −$281 |
| You pay | $23,015 | $20,667 | +$2,348 |
“+” means CNU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about CNU
What is the CNU acceptance rate?
Christopher Newport University accepts 86% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 6,212 of 7,062 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1060–1290 on the SAT or 25–30 on the ACT.
How much does Christopher Newport University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $33,766 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $23,015 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,461 and families earning $110k+ pay $30,584.
How much do CNU graduates earn?
Former Christopher Newport University students earn a median $60,509 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the CNU graduation rate?
72% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 81% return for their second year.
Is CNU the right fit for your family?
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Christopher Newport University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/christopher-newport-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).