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Southern Virginia University
Admission at Southern Virginia University is close to open (96.4%), which shifts the homework to outcomes: check the $50,002 median earnings below before the application.
Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →
Southern Virginia University anchors the college town of Buena Vista, VA, where the private campus and town largely share a footprint.
Its highest-earning path is Business/Commerce, General, where graduates median $56,726 four years out. 45.2% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 936 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 74% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 943 and 1253 — below the VA middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on Southern Virginia University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, Southern Virginia University received 1,101 applications and admitted 1,097 (99.6%), with 295 enrolling.
You can apply to Southern Virginia University without scores. Among admitted students who did submit, the middle half landed between 943 and 1253; applicants below that range often simply apply without them.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 480 | 590 | 658 |
| SAT Math | 463 | 560 | 595 |
| ACT Composite | 18 | 21 | 25 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How Southern Virginia University compares
| Southern Virginia University | Virginia median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 96.4% | 83.1% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $21,280 | $21,650 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $50,002 | $53,453 | $53,781 |
At $50,002, ten-year earnings trail the state median ($53,453). Look at Southern Virginia University's major-level rows below before reading too much into the campus-wide number.
Cost, size & completion
Tuition runs $21,280 regardless of where you're from. At Southern Virginia University, that sticker is a starting point for aid talks — not what the median family pays.
Enrollment sits at 936 — Southern Virginia University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.
Fewer than half of Southern Virginia University students — 33.5% — finish within six years. That number should shape how much debt feels safe.
Top majors by earnings at Southern Virginia University
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Business/Commerce, General | $56,726 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | $40,419 |
| Psychology, General | $36,808 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $33,115 |
Median earnings for these 4 Southern Virginia University programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $50,002 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 17 additional Southern Virginia University programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for Southern Virginia University?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 943–1253 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 96.4% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is Southern Virginia University's acceptance rate?
99.6% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 1,097 admitted from 1,101 applicants.
How much does Southern Virginia University cost?
At Southern Virginia University, published tuition is $21,280 — net price after aid usually comes in lower. That number is Southern Virginia University's ceiling, not a quote.
What do Southern Virginia University graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $50,002 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Virginia
- Richard Bland College — 89.3% admitted
- Randolph College — 93.7% admitted
- Randolph-Macon College — 86.6% admitted
- Radford University — 89.5% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.