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Virginia State University

Virginia State University

Virginia State University is a land-grant university located in Petersburg, Virginia. Established on March 6, 1882, it was the nation’s first fully state supported four-year institute of higher learning for the black Americans. The main campus consists of more than 50 buildings, and is spread across an area of more than 230 acres. The university is organized into the following academic divisions:

  • School of Agriculture
  • School of Business
  • School of Engineering, Science, and Technology
  • School of Graduate Studies, Research, and Outreach
  • School of Liberal Arts and Education

VSU fields both men’s and women’s sports teams, nicknamed the Mighty Trojans. Some of the notable alumni of the university are Reginald Lewis, owner of TLC Beatrice International; Billy Taylor, Jazz musician; and James Avery, actor.

Overview of Virginia State University

Virginia State is in Petersburg, VA. Petersburg is a large suburb. The school is a public institution. Virginia State issues awards (degrees) up to the level of Doctoral degree.

Areas of Study

Fields of study in vogue at the school include media, education and teaching, and computer science and engineering.

Virginia State Selectivity

Not all applicants to Virginia State are accepted. The top quarter of students at the school scored at least 480 on the verbal SAT test. Students' math SAT scores were most often in the range 400 to 480 in 2007.

Faculty

The most successful professors at Virginia State are given tenure, encouraging them to stay with the school for a long time.

Student Body

Approximately 4,720 students study at the school (in 2007). Virginia State is particularly welcoming to minority students.

Student Life

The school offers a real campus feel. Virginia State makes housing available to a large share of its students. Students at the school can take advantage of the school's meal plans. Students participate in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association athletics.

The school reports its educational mission is:
"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."

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting Virginia State

Virginia State University
One Hayden Street
Petersburg, VA 23806
General Phone: (804) 524-5000
http://www.vsu.edu

Virginia State Programs and Degrees (2007)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Education And Teaching200physical education teaching, curriculum and instruction, school counseling, educational administration, trade and industrial teaching, business teaching
Liberal Arts159interdisciplinary studies, liberal arts and sciences, sociology, political science, English, history
Business And Management130business management, accounting, marketing, managerial economics
Media59mass communication, public relations and advertising
Therapy And Counseling57psychology
Security And Law Enforcement53criminal justice and safety
Computer Science And Engineering49information technology, computer science, computer engineering
Family And Social Work49public administration, family and consumer economics
Science38biology, chemistry, physics
Hospitality16hospitality management
Agricultural Science And Management10agriculture
Engineering Technician9engineering technician, mechanical engineering related tech, electrical/electronic tech
Nutrition And Exercise Therapy9sports and fitness management, dietitian
Art Studies7visual and performing arts
Engineering7manufacturing engineering
Music4music performance
Nursing And Emergency Medicine4registered nursing
Mathematics2mathematics

Number of programs and degrees for Virginia State in 2007:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree71633
Master's degree13715
Doctor's degree51
Associate's degree41
Post-master's certificate01
Postbaccalaureate certificate02

Virginia State Student Body

Virginia State is a historically black college.

In 2007, Virginia State had a total enrollment of 4,720 students (4,282 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class:

GroupPercent
Full-Time100%
Part-Time0%

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate81%
Graduate19%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White7%
Black91%
Hispanic1%
Asian1%
American Indian0%
Unknown0%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 182%
18-1937%
20-2130%
22-2415%
25-296%
30-342%
35-392%
40-493%
50-642%
65+0%

Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)

ResidencePercent
Virginia61%
New York9%
Maryland6%
New Jersey4%
Washington, DC3%
Pennsylvania3%
North Carolina2%
Connecticut2%
Massachusetts2%
South Carolina1%
Illinois1%
California1%
Georgia1%
Michigan1%

Virginia State Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time73 %
Part-Time100 %

Virginia State Room and Board (2007)

Virginia State offers campus housing for 2,624 of its 4,282 (full-time) students. Freshmen are required to live on campus.

(Please refer to our profile of Petersburg, Virginia for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Virginia Colleges).

The school offers students a meal plan with 19 meals per week.

Virginia State Admissions and Selectivity (2007)

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total3,6992,90078%96733%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
SAT Verbal410480
SAT Math400480

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArequired
Class Rankrecommended
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrecommended
Recommendationsrequired
Formal Demonstration of Competencenot required
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT74%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)required

Virginia State Expenses and Financial Aid (2007)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 5,655
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 13,307
Room and board$ 7,340
Room charge$ 4,249
Board (meal plan) charge$ 3,091
Books and supplies$ 900
Other expenses$ 1,475

Financial Aid:
Virginia State participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 376400)

Virginia State Faculty

Virginia State has a tenure system for faculty.

Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelMenWomen
Tenured6726
Non-tenured, but on tenure track7347
Non-tenured and not on tenure track3236

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professorcalendar year12$99,3280*
Associate professorcalendar year8$85,3507$78,791
Assistant professorcalendar year7$68,0785$52,829
Instructorcalendar year2*1*
All faculty totalcalendar year29$84,58913$65,930

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year21$76,4844$68,661
Associate professoracademic year41$66,80334$60,093
Assistant professoracademic year57$60,76447$59,685
Instructoracademic year9$50,8228$51,025
All faculty totalacademic year128$64,57893$59,475

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Virginia State Athletics

Athletic Conferences:

SportConference
FootballCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association
BasketballCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association
BaseballCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association
TrackCentral Intercollegiate Athletic Association

Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):

SportMenWomenTotal
Total8345128
Football46046
Basketball111223
Track121022
Baseball12012
All Other Sports22325

Virginia State Degree Programs (2007)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
Agriculture, General

ART STUDIES
Visual and Performing Arts, General

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Business/Managerial Economics
Marketing/Marketing Management, General

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Engineering, General
Computer Science
Information Technology

EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Business Teacher Education
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
Curriculum and Instruction
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
Trade and Industrial Teacher Education

ENGINEERING
Manufacturing Engineering

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other
Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians, Other

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Services, Other
Public Administration

HOSPITALITY
Hospitality Administration/Management, General

LIBERAL ARTS
English Language and Literature, General
History, General
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Political Science and Government, General
Sociology

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General

MEDIA
Mass Communication/Media Studies
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other

MUSIC
Music Performance, General

NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Dietetics/Dietitian (RD)
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management

SCIENCE
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Chemistry, General
Physics, General

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Psychology, General

Virginia State Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets Virginia State Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
% of full-time faculty on tenure track
(vs. all colleges)
Top 7%Virginia State % of full-time faculty on tenure track
Dorm rooms per full-time student
(vs. all colleges)
Top 9%Virginia State Dorm rooms per full-time student
Minority % of student body
(vs. all colleges)
Top 9%Virginia State Minority % of student body
Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 12%Virginia State Faculty/student ratio (full-time)
Number of students
(vs. all colleges)
Top 16%Virginia State Number of students
% of degrees in computer science and engineering
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 17%Virginia State % of degrees in computer science and engineering
% of degrees in media
(vs. all colleges)
Top 17%Virginia State % of degrees in media
Lowest tuition & fees (in-state)
(colleges not offering open-admission)
Top 17%Virginia State Lowest tuition & fees (in-state)
% of degrees in education and teaching
(vs. all colleges)
Top 18%Virginia State % of degrees in education and teaching
Degrees concentrated in limited number of degree programs
(for colleges of its size and type)
Top 18%Virginia State Degrees concentrated in limited number of degree programs
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Offers credit for life experience
Grants credits for AP courses
Offers distance learning
Offers weekend classes
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Offers a board (meal) plan
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army)
Offers athletic scholarships
NCAA athletic conference member

Online Degree Alternatives

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