Colleges › Virginia › Virginia Union University

Virginia Union University

Virginia Union University is a private campus in Richmond proper — federal locale codes class it as urban. It is one of the nation's historically Black colleges and universities — a federally recognized designation. The school reports a Baptist affiliation in its federal filings.

Compare this school Find colleges

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

$17,272

family income
under $30k

$20,536

$30–48k

$22,097

$48–75k

$24,665

$75–110k

$21,677

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$13,2352023–24Skip 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 Virginia Union University fell from $17,851 (2008) to $13,235 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$17,851
2009	$20,662
2010	$18,032
2011	$19,179
2012	$19,573
2013	$19,483
2014	$19,160
2015	$18,859
2016	$21,073
2017	$22,076
2018	$21,813
2019	$19,736
2020	$18,052
2021	$22,242
2022	$19,580
2023	$13,235

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$29,0752024–25Skip 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 Virginia Union University rose from $23,935 (2009) to $29,075 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$23,935
2010	$24,373
2011	$26,055
2012	$26,055
2013	$26,885
2014	$27,703
2015	$28,063
2016	$28,741
2017	$30,317
2018	$30,864
2019	$31,395
2020	$32,082
2021	$26,902
2022	$29,361
2023	$34,960
2024	$29,075

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	$9,180
2001	$9,640
2002	$9,990
2003	$10,460
2004	$12,260
2005	$12,770
2006	$13,154
2007	$13,394
2008	$13,662
2013	$15,130
2014	$15,130
2015	$15,746
2016	$17,034
2017	$17,448
2018	$17,748
2019	$17,861
2020	$13,530
2021	$13,530
2022	$14,305
2023	$14,880

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

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Virginia Union University reports published tuition of $17,450 in this record. Virginia Union University's $17,450 tuition excludes other attendance costs; aid can reduce the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Virginia Union University reports 1,203 undergraduates. This count does not measure class size or advising access.

34.2% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Virginia Union 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

34.2%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 Virginia Union University rose from 27.8% (entered 1991) to 34.2% (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
1991 cohort	27.8%
1992 cohort	20%
1993 cohort	22.5%
1994 cohort	22.5%
1995 cohort	18.4%
1996 cohort	26.6%
1997 cohort	4.3%
1998 cohort	31.6%
1999 cohort	31%
2000 cohort	28.3%
2001 cohort	25.1%
2002 cohort	30.9%
2003 cohort	35.5%
2004 cohort	31.8%
2005 cohort	29.2%
2006 cohort	30.5%
2007 cohort	35.5%
2008 cohort	25.5%
2009 cohort	32.5%
2010 cohort	32.8%
2011 cohort	26.6%
2012 cohort	32.9%
2013 cohort	28.6%
2014 cohort	35.6%
2015 cohort	41.8%
2016 cohort	39.1%
2017 cohort	41.3%
2018 cohort	34.2%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

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 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$15,613	$5,250
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$16,210	$6,125
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$16,723	$6,125
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$17,125	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$18,250	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$19,813	$5,604
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$21,707	$6,060
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$22,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$22,188	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$23,883	$7,125
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$24,602	$6,472
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$26,063	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$29,664	$6,300
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$30,900	$8,908
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$30,860	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$33,269	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$33,500	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$31,000	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$31,000	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$30,500	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$29,000	$12,000
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$29,000	$14,000

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

$27,977

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$35,235

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$38,275

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

Virginia Union University admitted 2,778 of 2,835 applicants in Fall 2024. The 98% rate describes that application pool.

98%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $14,880 tuition · 2023–24 1,203 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 850–8851600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

Virginia Union University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Virginia Union University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 450–475 and Math was 400–410 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 850–885 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	450	450	475
SAT Math	400	400	410

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Virginia Union University received 2,835 applications and admitted 2,778 (98%), with 396 enrolling.

Acceptance rate

98%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 2011	74.6%
Fall 2012	92.8%
Fall 2013	58.5%
Fall 2014	23.9%
Fall 2015	49%
Fall 2016	41%
Fall 2017	43.9%
Fall 2018	43.8%
Fall 2019	63.1%
Fall 2020	75.3%
Fall 2021	93.8%
Fall 2022	80.5%
Fall 2023	97.7%
Fall 2024	98%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2011–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

850–885Fall 2024 · 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 2012	690	860
Fall 2013	670	840
Fall 2014	690	860
Fall 2015	680	860
Fall 2017	820	1020
Fall 2018	782	970
Fall 2019	770	929
Fall 2020	760	940
Fall 2021	756	893
Fall 2022	813	990
Fall 2023	750	1010
Fall 2024	850	885

IPEDS Fall 2012–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

14–17Fall 2021 · 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 2011	13	17
Fall 2012	14	17
Fall 2013	13	17
Fall 2014	14	18
Fall 2015	14	18
Fall 2017	15	20
Fall 2018	15	18
Fall 2019	14	17
Fall 2020	13	17
Fall 2021	14	17

IPEDS Fall 2011–2021, 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

1,203Fall 2024Skip to data table

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

Undergraduate enrollment at Virginia Union University has wandered from Fall 2002 to Fall 2024 — up to 1,517 at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 1,203.

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	1,260
Fall 2003	1,517
Fall 2004	1,400
Fall 2005	1,344
Fall 2006	1,238
Fall 2007	1,193
Fall 2008	1,123
Fall 2009	1,306
Fall 2010	1,303
Fall 2011	1,331
Fall 2012	1,354
Fall 2013	1,359
Fall 2014	1,322
Fall 2015	1,435
Fall 2016	1,355
Fall 2017	1,211
Fall 2018	1,132
Fall 2019	1,070
Fall 2020	1,140
Fall 2021	1,190
Fall 2022	1,297
Fall 2023	1,153
Fall 2024	1,203

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

67%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 Virginia Union University has wandered from Fall 2002 to Fall 2023 — up to 83% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 67%.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	65%
Fall 2003 cohort	60%
Fall 2004 cohort	59%
Fall 2005 cohort	83%
Fall 2006 cohort	53%
Fall 2007 cohort	53%
Fall 2008 cohort	51%
Fall 2009 cohort	50%
Fall 2010 cohort	55%
Fall 2011 cohort	49%
Fall 2012 cohort	54%
Fall 2013 cohort	50%
Fall 2014 cohort	60%
Fall 2015 cohort	66%
Fall 2016 cohort	52%
Fall 2017 cohort	68%
Fall 2018 cohort	68%
Fall 2019 cohort	61%
Fall 2020 cohort	63%
Fall 2021 cohort	54%
Fall 2022 cohort	62%
Fall 2023 cohort	67%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Virginia Union University

Faculty pay at Virginia Union University averages $70,488 a year, annualized from reported monthly pay. Carnegie classes Virginia Union University as a primarily residential campus of 1,203 undergraduates — and 66.6% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Virginia Union University's SAT section-percentile sums are 850–885 — their midpoint is below the VA four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Virginia Union University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

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 Virginia Union 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

Virginia Union University98%

Virginia median79.8%

National median76.8%

Tuition

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

Virginia Union University$17,450

Virginia median$21,650

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

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

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

Virginia Union University$38,275

Virginia median$53,453

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Virginia Union University, Virginia and national reference values
Metric & basis	Virginia Union University	Virginia median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	98%	79.8%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$17,450	$21,650	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$38,275	$53,453	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

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

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

View 8 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations	$64,924
Psychology, General	$50,826
Criminology	$49,024
Computer and Information Sciences, General	$45,214
Communication and Media Studies	$42,376
Biology, General	$40,032
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$39,251
Social Work	$38,872

These 8 fields listed for Virginia Union University measure earnings after completion. The $38,275 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 20 additional Virginia Union University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Virginia Union University report?

Virginia Union University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 850–885 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Virginia Union University's acceptance rate?

98% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 2,778 admitted from 2,835 applicants.

How much does Virginia Union University cost?

At Virginia Union University, tuition is $17,450. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Virginia Union University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $38,275. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Virginia

Virginia State University — 88.6% admitted
Virginia Commonwealth University — 92.6% admitted
Southern Virginia University — 96.4% admitted
Richard Bland College — 89.3% 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.