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Virginia State University

Overview

At a Glance

School type

Public, 4-year or above

Faculty

419 Faculty Members | 20:1 student faculty ratio

Religious affliation

Not applicable

General Information

Address

Virginia State University

1 Hayden Drive, Petersburg, Virginia 23806

See on Map
Phone

(804) 524-5000

Website
www.vsu.edu/

Mission Statement

Virginia State University, America's first fully state supported four-year institution of higher learning for Blacks, is a comprehensive university and one of two land-grant institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its mission is to promote and sustain academic programs that integrate instruction, research, and extension/ public service in a design most responsive to the needs and endeavors of individuals and groups within its scope of influence. Ultimately, the University is dedicated to the promotion of knowledgeable, perceptive, and humane citizens - secure in their self-awareness, equipped for personal fulfillment, sensitive to the needs and aspirations of others, and committed to assuming productive roles in a challenging and ever-changing global society.

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Mission Statement

×

Virginia State University, America's first fully state supported four-year institution of higher learning for Blacks, is a comprehensive university and one of two land-grant institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its mission is to promote and sustain academic programs that integrate instruction, research, and extension/

public service in a design most responsive to the needs and endeavors of individuals and groups within its scope of influence. Ultimately, the University is dedicated to the promotion of knowledgeable, perceptive, and humane citizens - secure in their self-awareness, equipped for personal fulfillment, sensitive to the needs and aspirations of others, and committed to assuming productive roles in a challenging and ever-changing global society.

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cost & financial aid

Annual tuition & fees

Undergraduate

In state

$9,154

Out of state

$20,909
Graduate

In state

$11,989

Out of state

$22,994

Financial Aid: Undergraduates

Received financial aid
92%
Did not receive aid
8%
Type of aid % of students recieving aid Average amount
Federal grants 67.0% $7,872
State/local grants 43.0% $7,085
Institutional grants 62.0% $3,639
Loans 92.0% $7,404

Pay For College with ROTC

Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) is a college scholarship program that prepares students to become military officers

Learn More About ROTC

Financial aid resources

Paying for college

Learn about different ways to cover costs, incluing financial aid, GI Bills, grants and scholarships

Applying for financial Aid

Review this step-by-step guide on everything you need to do to complete your application.

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Academics

Most Popular Undergraduate majors

  • Psychology, General
  • Mass Communication/Media Studies
  • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
  • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
Full List of Majors

Undergraduate Majors X

  • AGRICULTURAL/ANIMAL/PLANT/VETERINARY SCIENCE AND RELATED FIELDS
    • Agriculture, General
      • A program that focuses on the general principles and practice of agricultural research and production and that may prepare individuals to apply this knowledge to the solution of practical agricultural problems. Includes instruction in basic animal, plant, and soil science; animal husbandry and plant cultivation; soil conservation; and agricultural operations such as farming, ranching, and agricultural business. See other colleges that offer this major
  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
      • A general program of biology at the introductory, basic level or a program in biology or the biological sciences that is undifferentiated as to title or content. Includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Business Administration and Management, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to plan, organize, direct, and control the functions and processes of a firm or organization. Includes instruction in management theory, human resources management and behavior, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Accounting
      • A program that prepares individuals to practice the profession of accounting and to perform related business functions. Includes instruction in accounting principles and theory, financial accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, budget control, tax accounting, legal aspects of accounting, auditing, reporting procedures, statement analysis, planning and consulting, business information systems, accounting research methods, professional standards and ethics, and applications to specific for-profit, public, and non-profit organizations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Business/Managerial Economics
      • A program that focuses on the application of economics principles to the analysis of the organization and operation of business enterprises. Includes instruction in monetary theory, banking and financial systems, theory of competition, pricing theory, wage and salary/incentive theory, analysis of markets, and applications of econometrics and quantitative methods to the study of particular businesses and business problems. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Hospitality Administration/Management, General
      • A program that prepares individuals to serve as general managers and directors of hospitality operations on a system-wide basis, including both travel arrangements and promotion and the provision of traveler facilities. Includes instruction in principles of operations in the travel and tourism, hotel and lodging facilities, food services, and recreation facilities industries; hospitality marketing strategies; hospitality planning; management and coordination of franchise and unit operations; business management; accounting and financial management; hospitality transportation and logistics; and hospitality industry policies and regulations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Management Information Systems, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to provide and manage data systems and related facilities for processing and retrieving internal business information; select systems and train personnel; and respond to external data requests. Includes instruction in cost and accounting information systems, management control systems, personnel information systems, data storage and security, business systems networking, report preparation, computer facilities and equipment operation and maintenance, operator supervision and training, and management information systems policy and planning. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Marketing/Marketing Management, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to undertake and manage the process of developing consumer audiences and moving products from producers to consumers. Includes instruction in buyer behavior and dynamics, principle of marketing research, demand analysis, cost-volume and profit relationships, pricing theory, marketing campaign and strategic planning, market segments, advertising methods, sales operations and management, consumer relations, retailing, and applications to specific products and markets. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS
    • Mass Communication/Media Studies
      • A program that focuses on the analysis and criticism of media institutions and media texts, how people experience and understand media content, and the roles of media in producing and transforming culture. Includes instruction in communications regulation, law, and policy; media history; media aesthetics, interpretation, and criticism; the social and cultural effects of mass media; cultural studies; the economics of media industries; visual and media literacy; and the psychology and behavioral aspects of media messages, interpretation, and utilization. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer Science
      • A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • EDUCATION
    • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
  • ENGINEERING
    • Computer Engineering, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of computer hardware and software systems and related equipment and facilities; and the analysis of specific problems of computer applications to various tasks. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Manufacturing Engineering
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply scientific and mathematical principles to the design, development, and implementation of manufacturing systems. Includes instruction in materials science and engineering, manufacturing processes, process engineering, assembly and product engineering, manufacturing systems design, and manufacturing competitiveness. See other colleges that offer this major
  • ENGINEERING/ENGINEERING-RELATED TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS
    • Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other
    • Industrial Technology/Technician
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of industrial engineers and managers. Includes instruction in optimization theory, human factors, organizational behavior, industrial processes, industrial planning procedures, computer applications, and report and presentation preparation. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians, Other
  • ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS
    • English Language and Literature, General
      • A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples. See other colleges that offer this major
  • FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES/HUMAN SCIENCES
  • HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND RELATED PROGRAMS
    • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
      • A program that generally prepares individuals in the knowledge, techniques and procedures for promoting health, providing care for sick, disabled, infirmed, or other individuals or groups. Includes instruction in the administration of medication and treatments, assisting a physician during treatments and examinations, Referring patients to physicians and other health care specialists, and planning education for health maintenance. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HISTORY
    • History, General
      • A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration. See other colleges that offer this major
  • HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTING AND RELATED PROTECTIVE SERVICES
    • Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
      • A program that focuses on the criminal justice system, its organizational components and processes, and its legal and public policy contexts. Includes instruction in criminal law and policy, police and correctional systems organization, the administration of justice and the judiciary, and public attitudes regarding criminal justice issues. See other colleges that offer this major
  • LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES
    • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
      • A program that is a structured combination of the arts, biological and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities, emphasizing breadth of study. Includes instruction in independently designed, individualized, or regular programs. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
    • Mathematics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
  • PHYSICAL SCIENCES
    • Chemistry, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PSYCHOLOGY
    • Psychology, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND SOCIAL SERVICE PROFESSIONS
    • Social Work
      • A program that prepares individuals for the professional practice of social welfare administration and counseling, and that focus on the study of organized means of providing basic support services for vulnerable individuals and groups. Includes instruction in social welfare policy; case work planning; social counseling and intervention strategies; administrative procedures and regulations; and specific applications in areas such as child welfare and family services, probation, employment services, and disability counseling. See other colleges that offer this major
  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
    • Political Science and Government, General
      • A general program that focuses on the systematic study of political institutions and behavior. Includes instruction in political philosophy, political theory, comparative government and politics, political parties and interest groups, public opinion, political research methods, studies of the government and politics of specific countries, and studies of specific political institutions and processes. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Sociology, General
      • A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems. See other colleges that offer this major
  • VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS
    • Visual and Performing Arts, General
      • A general, undifferentiated program that focuses on the visual and performing arts and that may prepare individuals in any of the visual artistic media or performing disciplines. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Music Performance, General
      • A program that generally prepares individuals to master musical instruments and performing art as solo and/or ensemble performers. Includes instruction on one or more specific instruments from various instrumental groupings. See other colleges that offer this major

Most Popular Graduate programs

  • Business/Managerial Economics
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
  • Mathematics, General
  • Corrections and Criminal Justice, Other
  • Psychology, General
Full List of Programs

Graduate ProgramsX

  • BIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES
    • Biology/Biological Sciences, General
      • A general program of biology at the introductory, basic level or a program in biology or the biological sciences that is undifferentiated as to title or content. Includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Business/Managerial Economics
      • A program that focuses on the application of economics principles to the analysis of the organization and operation of business enterprises. Includes instruction in monetary theory, banking and financial systems, theory of competition, pricing theory, wage and salary/incentive theory, analysis of markets, and applications of econometrics and quantitative methods to the study of particular businesses and business problems. See other colleges that offer this major
  • COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS
    • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other
  • COMPUTER AND INFORMATION SCIENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES
    • Computer Science
      • A program that focuses on computer theory, computing problems and solutions, and the design of computer systems and user interfaces from a scientific perspective. Includes instruction in the principles of computational science, computer development and programming, and applications to a variety of end-use situations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • EDUCATION
    • Curriculum and Instruction
      • A program that focuses on the curriculum and related instructional processes and tools, and that may prepare individuals to serve as professional curriculum specialists. Includes instruction in curriculum theory, curriculum design and planning, instructional material design and evaluation, curriculum evaluation, and applications to specific subject matter, programs or educational levels. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Educational Leadership and Administration, General
      • A program that focuses on the general principles and techniques of administering a wide variety of schools and other educational organizations and facilities, supervising educational personnel at the school or staff level, and that may prepare individuals as general administrators and supervisors. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply the theory and principles of guidance and counseling to the provision of support for the personal, social, educational, and vocational development of students, and the organizing of guidance services within elementary, middle and secondary educational institutions. Includes instruction in legal and professional requirements, therapeutic counselor intervention, vocational counseling, and related sociological and psychological foundations. See other colleges that offer this major
    • Trade and Industrial Teacher Education
  • HOMELAND SECURITY, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREFIGHTING AND RELATED PROTECTIVE SERVICES
  • MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS
    • Mathematics, General
      • A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See other colleges that offer this major
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
  • PARKS, RECREATION, LEISURE, FITNESS, AND KINESIOLOGY
    • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management
      • A program that prepares individuals to apply business, coaching and physical education principles to the organization, administration and management of athletic programs and teams, fitness/rehabilitation facilities and health clubs, sport recreation services, and related services. Includes instruction in program planning and development; business and financial management principles; sales, marketing and recruitment; event promotion, scheduling and management; facilities management; public relations; legal aspects of sports; and applicable health and safety standards. See other colleges that offer this major
  • PSYCHOLOGY
    • Psychology, General
      • A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods. See other colleges that offer this major

Types of Degrees Offered

  • Certificate
  • Associate's degree
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Master's degree
  • Doctoral degree
No Information for this section

Admissions

Undergraduate acceptance rate

Acceptance rate
96.08%
  • Apply 9,978
  • Accepted 9,587
  • Attend 920

Application Fee

Undergraduate
$0
Graduate
$0

Undergraduate application requirements

  • High school transcript

    Required

  • High school GPA

    Required

  • Recommendation letter

    Required

  • Admissions test
    (SAT or ACT)

    Not applicable

  • TOEFL
    (international students)

    Required

  • Completion of college
    prep program

    Recommended

  • Demonstration of
    competencies

    Not applicable

Average sat scores

Half of the freshman class scored within these ranges. 25% scored lower and 25% scored higher. 2020 data.

Math
Reading

Average act scores

Half of the freshman class scored within these ranges. 25% scored lower and 25% scored higher. 2020 data.

Composite
No Information for this section

Student Life

Student Demographics

Female Students
61%
Male Students
39%
Student Ethnicities
  1. Black92.56%
  2. Not Specified3.19%
  3. Caucasian3.02%
  4. Two Or More Ethnicities0.7%
  5. Asian0.35%
  6. American Indian/Alaska Native0.16%
  7. Hispanic/Latino0.02%

Student body breakdown

Total students enrolled

8,654

Undergraduate students

7,791

Graduate students

863

Attendance breakdown

Full time
91%
Part time
9%

Student services

  • Meal plan
  • Counseling services
  • Remedial services
  • Work-study
  • Placement services
  • Study abroad
  • Weekend/evening classes
  • On-campus day care for student's children

Top five largest sports teams

Male sports:
  • Baseball
  • Track and Field, Outdoor
Female sports:
  • Track and Field, Outdoor
  • Baseball
Full List of Athletics

Full List of Athletics X

    • Male

    • Baseball
    • Track and Field, Outdoor

    • Female

    • Track and Field, Outdoor
No Information for this section

Data supplied by Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center of Education Statistics, Defense Manpower Data Center (View our update schedule). Contact any business, college or military service branch to answer additional questions.