More selective than 10% 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 $34,431. College Scorecard.
Higher than 7% of Virginia colleges we cover and 16% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 30% of Virginia colleges we cover and 41% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
SVU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,101 applicants, Southern Virginia University admitted 1,097 and 295 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
SVU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Virginia residents studying full-time at eligible private nonprofit Virginia colleges may receive the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG): up to $5,250 a year for undergraduates in 2025-26, depending on state funding. Not included in the prices above. State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), VTAG
SVU majors, earnings & careers
Southern Virginia University offers 21 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Arts & Design · 3
- Science & Math · 3
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
Highest-earning majors at SVU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business | $56,726 | — |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $40,419 | $18,500 |
| Psychology | $36,808 | — |
| English | $33,115 | — |
Quick list of all 21 majors
- Area Studies—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Business$56,726
- Classics—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Science—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English$33,115
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$40,419
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Philosophy—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$36,808
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— 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 → 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
Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Buena Vista
2 bedrooms $1,057.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 11 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Buena Vista City
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Buena Vista City at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare SVU with similar schools
Similar private 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Virginia University | 96% | $22,213 | 33% | $50,002 | This school |
| Virginia Union University | 98% | $13,235 | 34% | $38,275 | |
| Ferrum College | 89% | $20,082 | 32% | $44,296 | |
| Randolph College | 94% | $15,921 | 46% | $53,409 | |
| Bridgewater College | 92% | $17,800 | 53% | $53,453 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Southern Virginia University would cost you $8,978 more per year than Virginia Union University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Southern Virginia University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$3,830).
- Virginia Union University gives aided families $3,622 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Virginia resident | SVU | VUU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $21,280 | $17,450 | +$3,830 |
| Books & supplies | $1,500 | $0 | +$1,500 |
| Housing & meals | $9,376 | $9,552 | −$176 |
| Personal & travel | $3,500 | $5,000 | −$1,500 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,225 | −$2,927 | +$1,702 |
| Sticker price | $34,431 | $29,075 | +$5,356 |
| Average grants | −$12,218 | −$15,840 | +$3,622 |
| You pay | $22,213 | $13,235 | +$8,978 |
“+” means SVU 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 SVU
What is the SVU acceptance rate?
Southern Virginia University accepts 96% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,097 of 1,101 applicants were admitted.
How much does Southern Virginia University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $34,431 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,213 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $18,957 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,108.
How much do SVU graduates earn?
Former Southern Virginia University students earn a median $50,002 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the SVU graduation rate?
33% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year.
Is SVU the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing SVU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
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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: “Southern Virginia University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/southern-virginia-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).