Virginia State University

Public · Moderately Selective · VA

Photo: Jweaver28 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationVA · South

SettingSuburban

Undergrads5,074

Student:faculty13:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate24.3%

6-yr grad rate39.4%

Drop-out rate30.6%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$10k

Out-of-state tuition$23k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity98%

Gender diversity59%

International1.1%

IdentityHBCU

Overview

Virginia State is a historically Black land-grant university in Ettrick, near Petersburg, Virginia, with a tight-knit HBCU campus culture. It is known for agriculture, education, and engineering technology, and the Trojan Explosion marching band is a central part of campus identity.

Academics

As a land-grant institution, agriculture is a genuine and long-standing academic strength, alongside education and engineering technology programs that connect students to applied, hands-on training rather than a purely theoretical curriculum.

Campus & student life

Marching band culture, centered on the Trojan Explosion, shapes much of the social calendar alongside athletics, and the campus carries the close-knit community feel typical of HBCUs, where students describe strong bonds across class years.

Worth knowing

The land-grant agricultural mission is a distinctive, practical feature of Virginia State that sets it apart from many other HBCUs, giving students in that field direct access to research farms and extension-style programming.

vsu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate88.6%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 840–1070 · ACT 14–20

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying