Virginia Union University

Private · Moderately Selective · VA

Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) (Public domain)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationVA · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,203

Student:faculty16:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate25%

6-yr grad rate34.2%

Drop-out rate33.4%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$17k

Out-of-state tuition$17k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity99.4%

Gender diversity52%

International1.2%

IdentityHBCU · Baptist

Overview

Virginia Union University is a private historically Black university in Richmond, founded in 1865 to educate people newly freed from slavery. That founding mission and its historic Baptist roots continue to shape the university's identity as both an academic institution and a center of Black religious and civic life in Virginia.

Academics

Theology and ministry have deep roots at Virginia Union, reflecting its Baptist founding, alongside established programs in business and criminal justice. The university's legacy as a training ground for Black civic and religious leadership runs through its curriculum and campus culture alike.

Campus & student life

The Richmond campus carries substantial historical weight, and student life is shaped by the university's identity as an HBCU with a long civil-rights legacy — traditions, campus organizations, and the surrounding community all connect back to that history.

Getting in

Virginia Union's process weighs the whole applicant, with attention to leadership potential and community engagement alongside academics, consistent with a university that has long produced civic and religious leaders.

After graduation

The university's alumni network includes pioneering figures in Virginia politics and in ministry, and that legacy gives graduates entering public service, law, or the ministry a genuine network to draw on, particularly within Virginia and the broader Black church community.

Worth knowing

Students interested in the intersection of faith, civic leadership, and Black history should know Virginia Union's identity is built directly on that intersection, as a founding purpose rather than an add-on to a generic undergraduate experience.

vuu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate98%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 850–885

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying