Campus & Student Life at Virginia State University

Home to about 3,659 undergraduates in 2020, Virginia State is a small, public university located in Petersburg, Virginia. A safe, suburban environment can offer many of the amenities of city living without the constant hum. Should you tire of the campus however, Virginia State offers a “study abroad” program. Please note, some classes/degrees offered by Virginia State can be taken “online” so keep that in mind when reviewing this report. For more context, you might also check out our Virginia State Guide to Distance and Online Learning.

Virginia State is an "Historically Black College or University" (HBCU)

The Higher Education Act of 1965 established historically black colleges and universities as institutions whose principal mission was the education of African-Americans. Today, the HBCU designation does not necessitate that Virginia State is exclusively or even predominantly African-American (though it currently is). Thanks to integration efforts, there are HBCUs with non-black majorities and non-HBCUs with black majorities. For more information you can review the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Virginia State Has a Disability Services Site

For more information on policies and accommodations that the university provides to ensure all students get the opportunity to participate, you can visit Virginia State Disability Services.

Virginia State for the Military

While not a "service academy", Virginia State does offer support for veterans and those seeking a career in the armed forces. Undergraduates have access to one or more ROTC programs. For more information on policies related to veterans, you can visit Virginia State Veteran Services . For more information, check out our Virginia State for Veterans Guide.

Freshmen Living Arrangements at Virginia State University

Virginia State offers on-campus housing, but freshmen are not required to take advantage of it. In the end though, most do choose to live in the dorms.

* Data compiled from students who received financial aid, including loans.

Full-time vs. Part-time Studies at Virginia State University

Virginia State has a comparatively small, student body. There were 3,659 undergraduates in 2020. Full-time attendance was 3,507 (95.8%). Part-time attendance was 152 (4.2%).

Virginia State University is Ranked #2,195 for Overall Diversity

Compared to other colleges and universities across the nation, Virginia State is less diverse than average in terms of overall diversity. We rank Virginia State #2195 out of 3,451.

The chart below shows each element that we looked at to determine this ranking, and how that metric compares to the national average. 100 would indicate excellent diversity in each category, and 1 would mean poor diversity.

You can learn more about the diversity of the student body at Virginia State by looking closer at the ethnic,  gender,  age, and geographic diversity metrics from the Virginia State Diversity Guide.

Virginia State University Competes in the NCAA

Virginia State has a total of 277 student athletes, 176 men and 101 women who compete in inter-collegiate athletics.

Athletics Financing

For more information about athletics including per-team sizes, coaching and scholarships check out our Guide to Virginia State University Athletics