More selective than 32% 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 $27,661. College Scorecard.
Higher than 19% of Virginia colleges we cover and 24% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 23% of Virginia colleges we cover and 28% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
VSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 10,577 applicants, Virginia State University admitted 9,424 and 1,448 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 840–1070 on the SAT or 14–20 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
VSU 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
VSU majors, earnings & careers
Virginia State University offers 35 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 6
- Engineering · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Education · 3
- Arts & Design · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
Highest-earning majors at VSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $89,702 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians | $80,902 | $27,500 |
| Management Information Systems | $72,734 | — |
| Accounting | $72,375 | $27,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $60,276 | $26,500 |
| Hospitality Management | $56,476 | — |
| Marketing | $53,709 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $53,398 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting$72,375
- Agriculture$48,778
- Biology$53,398
- Business Administration$49,764
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$40,896
- Computer and Information Sciences$60,276
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Engineering Technologies / Technicians$89,702
- Computer Science—
- Criminal Justice$48,624
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)$48,362
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- English—
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies$46,514
- History—
- Hospitality Management$56,476
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$50,015
- Management Information Systems$72,734
- Manufacturing Engineering—
- Marketing$53,709
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians$80,902
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Nursing—
- Political Science$44,002
- Psychology$37,861
- Social Work$49,615
- Sociology$40,432
- Special Education—
- 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 →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
Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Richmond
Overall prices in the Richmond, VA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,651. Housing costs 1% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 47 inches of rain a year, 4 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Chesterfield County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Chesterfield County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare VSU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia State University | 89% | $15,840 | 39% | $45,543 | This school |
| Norfolk State University | 88% | $15,282 | 39% | $44,666 | |
| Radford University | 90% | $14,578 | 49% | $53,739 | |
| Christopher Newport University | 86% | $23,015 | 72% | $60,509 | |
| Longwood University | 90% | $19,066 | 61% | $52,347 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Virginia State University would cost you $558 more per year than Norfolk State University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Virginia State University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,274).
- Virginia State University gives aided families $470 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Virginia resident | VSU | Norfolk State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $10,043 | $10,180 | −$137 |
| Books & supplies | $1,300 | $1,200 | +$100 |
| Housing & meals | $12,966 | $11,692 | +$1,274 |
| Personal & travel | $3,640 | $4,700 | −$1,060 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$288 | −$1,139 | +$851 |
| Sticker price | $27,661 | $26,633 | +$1,028 |
| Average grants | −$11,821 | −$11,351 | −$470 |
| You pay | $15,840 | $15,282 | +$558 |
“+” means VSU 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 VSU
What is the VSU acceptance rate?
Virginia State University accepts 89% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 9,424 of 10,577 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 840–1070 on the SAT or 14–20 on the ACT.
How much does Virginia State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $27,661 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,840 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,220 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,508.
How much do VSU graduates earn?
Former Virginia State University students earn a median $45,543 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the VSU graduation rate?
39% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 69% return for their second year.
Is VSU the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing VSU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
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: “Virginia State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/virginia-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).