More selective than 60% 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 $51,255. College Scorecard.
Higher than 21% of Virginia colleges we cover and 28% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 32% of Virginia colleges we cover and 41% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
VWU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,651 applicants, Virginia Wesleyan University admitted 1,890 and 373 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
VWU 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
VWU majors, earnings & careers
Virginia Wesleyan University offers 36 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 8
- Science & Math · 7
- Arts & Design · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
Highest-earning majors at VWU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $63,159 | $28,000 |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $53,272 | $31,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $52,247 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $43,511 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 36 majors
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$63,159
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice$52,247
- Education—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Health Sciences—
- History—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Computer Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$53,272
- Music—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Philosophy—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$43,511
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre—
— 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
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 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. 53 inches of rain a year, 6 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Virginia Beach City
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Virginia Beach City at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare VWU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Wesleyan University | 73% | $19,676 | 42% | $50,074 | This school |
| Sweet Briar College | 76% | $17,758 | 52% | $51,943 | |
| Mary Baldwin University | — | $12,756 | 39% | $44,427 | |
| Averett University | 57% | $22,925 | 48% | $51,516 | |
| Emory & Henry University | 84% | $19,061 | 56% | $47,385 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Virginia Wesleyan University would cost you $1,918 more per year than Sweet Briar College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Virginia Wesleyan University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$11,340).
- Virginia Wesleyan University gives aided families $5,439 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Virginia resident | VWU | Sweet Briar College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $37,500 | $26,160 | +$11,340 |
| Books & supplies | $1,500 | $1,400 | +$100 |
| Housing & meals | $11,513 | $14,720 | −$3,207 |
| Personal & travel | $3,100 | $2,850 | +$250 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,358 | −$1,232 | −$1,126 |
| Sticker price | $51,255 | $43,898 | +$7,357 |
| Average grants | −$31,579 | −$26,140 | −$5,439 |
| You pay | $19,676 | $17,758 | +$1,918 |
“+” means VWU 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 VWU
What is the VWU acceptance rate?
Virginia Wesleyan University accepts 73% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,890 of 2,651 applicants were admitted.
How much does Virginia Wesleyan University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $51,255 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,676 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,080 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,782.
How much do VWU graduates earn?
Former Virginia Wesleyan University students earn a median $50,074 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the VWU graduation rate?
42% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 74% return for their second year.
Is VWU the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing VWU 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: “Virginia Wesleyan University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/virginia-wesleyan-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).