More selective than 28% 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 $28,405. College Scorecard.
Higher than 33% of Virginia colleges we cover and 40% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 45% of Virginia colleges we cover and 51% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Radford University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 11,072 applicants, Radford University admitted 10,036 and 1,103 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 940–1160 on the SAT or 19–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Radford University 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
Radford University majors, earnings & careers
Radford University offers 47 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Science & Math · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Business & Finance · 5
- Humanities & Languages · 5
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at Radford University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $87,740 | $26,000 |
| Nursing | $81,120 | $26,000 |
| Accounting | $78,780 | $24,250 |
| Finance | $72,364 | $25,000 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | $71,805 | — |
| Economics | $69,943 | $26,000 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $68,364 | $25,250 |
| Information Science / Studies | $68,088 | — |
Quick list of all 47 majors
- Accounting$78,780
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$68,364
- Anthropology—
- Biology$51,266
- Business Administration$67,246
- Chemistry—
- Communications$59,932
- Computer Science$87,740
- Criminal Justice$56,996
- Dance—
- Economics$69,943
- Education (Subject Teaching)$53,863
- English$39,085
- Finance$72,364
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$55,422
- Geography$63,552
- Geology / Earth Science—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$55,856
- Health Administration$51,144
- Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other$48,566
- Health Sciences—
- History$43,188
- Information Science / Studies$68,088
- Information Technology—
- Journalism$45,369
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Linguistics—
- Marketing$62,981
- Mathematics$65,785
- Medical Laboratory Science$71,805
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$50,057
- Music$47,586
- Nursing$81,120
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$48,743
- Philosophy and Religious Studies, Other—
- Physics—
- Political Science$64,901
- Psychology$48,935
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Public Health—
- Social Sciences$49,727
- Social Work$47,716
- Sociology$54,122
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$53,171
- Studio Art$40,679
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre$46,725
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Blacksburg
Overall prices in the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,340. Housing costs 26% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 22 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Radford City
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Radford City at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Radford University 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radford University | 90% | $14,578 | 49% | $53,739 | This school |
| Norfolk State University | 88% | $15,282 | 39% | $44,666 | |
| Virginia State University | 89% | $15,840 | 39% | $45,543 | |
| Longwood University | 90% | $19,066 | 61% | $52,347 | |
| Christopher Newport University | 86% | $23,015 | 72% | $60,509 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Radford University would cost you $704 less per year than Norfolk State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Radford University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$2,368).
- Radford University gives aided families $2,476 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Virginia resident | Radford University | Norfolk State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $12,548 | $10,180 | +$2,368 |
| Books & supplies | $1,260 | $1,200 | +$60 |
| Housing & meals | $11,973 | $11,692 | +$281 |
| Personal & travel | $3,652 | $4,700 | −$1,048 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,028 | −$1,139 | +$111 |
| Sticker price | $28,405 | $26,633 | +$1,772 |
| Average grants | −$13,827 | −$11,351 | −$2,476 |
| You pay | $14,578 | $15,282 | −$704 |
“+” means Radford University 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 Radford University
What is the Radford University acceptance rate?
Radford University accepts 90% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 10,036 of 11,072 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 940–1160 on the SAT or 19–26 on the ACT.
How much does Radford University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $28,405 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,578 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $8,965 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,533.
How much do Radford University graduates earn?
Former Radford University students earn a median $53,739 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Radford University graduation rate?
49% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 76% return for their second year.
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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: “Radford University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/radford-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).