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Southern Virginia University

Southern Virginia University is based in the town of Buena Vista, VA — a private campus in a small-town setting.

What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$20,722

family income
under $30k

$21,345

$30–48k

$23,925

$48–75k

$25,350

$75–110k

$26,686

over $110k

Average net price

$22,2132023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Southern Virginia University rose from $16,249 (2008) to $22,213 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$16,249
2009	$15,642
2010	$16,853
2011	$17,359
2012	$20,583
2013	$19,985
2014	$20,053
2015	$20,558
2016	$18,554
2017	$17,560
2018	$19,000
2019	$20,834
2020	$21,387
2021	$21,145
2022	$24,014
2023	$22,213

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$34,4312024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Southern Virginia University rose from $25,200 (2009) to $34,431 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$25,200
2010	$26,200
2011	$27,050
2012	$27,800
2013	$30,068
2014	$30,009
2015	$26,231
2016	$26,864
2017	$25,973
2018	$26,624
2019	$28,100
2020	$29,875
2021	$31,000
2022	$31,394
2023	$33,066
2024	$34,431

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$10,160
2001	$11,060
2002	$13,500
2003	$13,940
2004	$14,640
2005	$15,350
2006	$15,826
2007	$16,500
2008	$16,500
2013	$18,900
2014	$14,600
2015	$14,900
2016	$14,900
2017	$15,900
2018	$16,495
2019	$17,280
2020	$17,696
2021	$17,960
2022	$19,108
2023	$20,040

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $21,280 before grants and other attendance costs. At Southern Virginia University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Enrollment sits at 936 — Southern Virginia University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.

33.5% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Southern Virginia University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

33.5%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Southern Virginia University fell from 87.8% (entered 1996) to 33.5% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1994 cohort	51.5%
1996 cohort	87.8%
1997 cohort	85.7%
1998 cohort	100%
1999 cohort	20%
2000 cohort	17.1%
2001 cohort	17.2%
2002 cohort	27.6%
2003 cohort	30.9%
2004 cohort	27.2%
2005 cohort	25.1%
2006 cohort	29.8%
2007 cohort	32.5%
2008 cohort	31.3%
2009 cohort	30.1%
2010 cohort	32.7%
2011 cohort	27%
2012 cohort	31%
2013 cohort	31.1%
2014 cohort	44.9%
2015 cohort	44.3%
2016 cohort	46.1%
2017 cohort	38.3%
2018 cohort	33.5%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1994–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	—	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$5,500	$1,751
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$9,400	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$11,750	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$13,750	$2,750
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$16,393	$3,392
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$14,642	$3,576
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$15,750	$5,250
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$17,250	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$18,915	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$18,941	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$18,510	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$19,677	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$23,920	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$23,827	$6,000
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$21,762	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$21,500	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$21,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$24,365	$12,000
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$24,224	$9,000

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$36,988

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$39,289

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$50,002

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Southern Virginia University admitted 1,399 of 1,451 applicants in Fall 2024. The 96.4% rate describes that application pool.

96.4%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $20,040 tuition · 2023–24 936 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Tests not considered · Fall 2024

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Southern Virginia University received 1,451 applications and admitted 1,399 (96.4%), with 300 enrolling.

Southern Virginia University did not consider scores in the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. No score range is displayed for Southern Virginia University under that historical policy.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Acceptance rate

96.4%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2002	52.5%
Fall 2003	52.3%
Fall 2004	51%
Fall 2005	40.7%
Fall 2006	—
Fall 2007	—
Fall 2008	98.5%
Fall 2009	98.5%
Fall 2011	98.8%
Fall 2012	98.8%
Fall 2013	99.9%
Fall 2014	47.1%
Fall 2015	38.3%
Fall 2016	45.3%
Fall 2017	56.2%
Fall 2018	69.3%
Fall 2019	98%
Fall 2020	99%
Fall 2021	99.5%
Fall 2022	99.5%
Fall 2023	99.6%
Fall 2024	96.4%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2002–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

943–1253Fall 2023 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2002	920	1140
Fall 2003	890	1110
Fall 2004	890	1110
Fall 2005	930	1180
Fall 2006	900	1170
Fall 2008	900	1150
Fall 2009	900	1150
Fall 2011	920	1150
Fall 2012	918	1163
Fall 2013	918	1130
Fall 2014	908	1163
Fall 2015	900	1150
Fall 2016	928	1140
Fall 2017	795	1088
Fall 2018	960	1237
Fall 2019	964	1202
Fall 2020	1137	1331
Fall 2021	1018	1226
Fall 2022	900	1250
Fall 2023	943	1253

IPEDS Fall 2002–2023, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

18–25Fall 2023 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2002	30	31
Fall 2003	19	25
Fall 2004	19	25
Fall 2005	20	25
Fall 2006	20	25
Fall 2007	20	25
Fall 2008	20	25
Fall 2009	20	25
Fall 2011	20	26
Fall 2012	20	26
Fall 2013	17	26
Fall 2014	20	26
Fall 2015	19	26
Fall 2016	16	26
Fall 2017	14	26
Fall 2018	20	26
Fall 2019	19	26
Fall 2020	21	27
Fall 2021	17	26
Fall 2022	18	24
Fall 2023	18	25

IPEDS Fall 2002–2023, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

936Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Southern Virginia University rose from 503 (Fall 2002) to 936 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	503
Fall 2003	575
Fall 2004	581
Fall 2005	671
Fall 2006	739
Fall 2007	693
Fall 2008	682
Fall 2009	635
Fall 2010	771
Fall 2011	792
Fall 2012	728
Fall 2013	658
Fall 2014	703
Fall 2015	728
Fall 2016	779
Fall 2017	877
Fall 2018	961
Fall 2019	1,052
Fall 2020	1,056
Fall 2021	1,066
Fall 2022	1,053
Fall 2023	967
Fall 2024	936

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

74%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Southern Virginia University rose from 38% (Fall 2003) to 74% (Fall 2023).

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	38%
Fall 2004 cohort	57%
Fall 2005 cohort	42%
Fall 2006 cohort	52%
Fall 2007 cohort	37%
Fall 2008 cohort	48%
Fall 2009 cohort	49%
Fall 2010 cohort	55%
Fall 2011 cohort	71%
Fall 2012 cohort	71%
Fall 2013 cohort	70%
Fall 2014 cohort	76%
Fall 2015 cohort	68%
Fall 2016 cohort	81%
Fall 2017 cohort	81%
Fall 2018 cohort	81%
Fall 2019 cohort	69%
Fall 2020 cohort	79%
Fall 2021 cohort	67%
Fall 2022 cohort	82%
Fall 2023 cohort	74%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about Southern Virginia University

45.2% of Southern Virginia University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Southern Virginia University as a primarily residential campus of 936 undergraduates — and 74% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Southern Virginia University reported not considering test scores in Fall 2024, when its admission rate was 96.4%. Review Southern Virginia University's current requirements before applying; use the GPA calculator for your semester numbers.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Southern Virginia University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Southern Virginia University96.4%

Virginia median79.8%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Southern Virginia University$21,280

Virginia median$21,650

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Southern Virginia University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Southern Virginia University$50,002

Virginia median$53,453

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Southern Virginia University, Virginia and national reference values
Metric & basis	Southern Virginia University	Virginia median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	96.4%	79.8%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$21,280	$21,650	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$50,002	$53,453	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Southern Virginia University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Southern Virginia University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 4 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	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

These 4 fields listed for Southern Virginia University measure earnings after completion. The $50,002 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 17 additional Southern Virginia University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Southern Virginia University report?

Southern Virginia University did not consider scores in Fall 2024: 96.4% admitted. Check current requirements.

What is Southern Virginia University's acceptance rate?

96.4% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 1,399 admitted from 1,451 applicants.

How much does Southern Virginia University cost?

At Southern Virginia University, tuition is $21,280. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Southern Virginia University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $50,002. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

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: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.