SVU

Southern Virginia University

Buena Vista, Virginia Private nonprofit 4-year Town

Overview

Southern Virginia University is a private nonprofit four-year institution based in Buena Vista, Virginia. The campus sits in a town setting. It enrolled 936 students in fall 2024.

Southern Virginia University offers bachelor's degrees across 17 programs. Its largest programs by number of graduates are Business/Commerce, Psychology, General, and Human Development and Family Studies. It awarded 164 degrees and certificates in 2024-25.

74% of full-time first-year students return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio is 14 to 1.

Key figures

936

Students enrolled

74%

First-year retention

164

Degrees and certificates awarded, 2024-25

Programs and majors

14:1

Student-to-faculty ratio

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Delivery modes

Campus

Program levels

Bachelor

Programs and majors offered 17

Graduate counts are degrees and certificates awarded in each program between July 2024 and June 2025. Largest fields are listed first.

Business, Management and Marketing 1

Business/Commerce Bachelor 41 graduates

Biological and Biomedical Sciences 2

Biochemistry Bachelor 22 graduates
Biology Bachelor 14 graduates

Psychology 1

Psychology, General Bachelor 27 graduates

Family and Consumer Sciences 1

Human Development and Family Studies Bachelor 22 graduates

Visual and Performing Arts 4

Music Bachelor 7 graduates
Design and Visual Communications Bachelor 6 graduates
Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft, Other Bachelor 6 graduates
Visual and Performing Arts, General Bachelor 3 graduates

Social Sciences 1

Political Science and Government Bachelor 7 graduates

Computer and Information Sciences 1

Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor 5 graduates

English Language and Literature 1

English Language and Literature, General Bachelor 5 graduates

Liberal Arts and General Studies 1

Liberal Arts and Sciences Bachelor 4 graduates

Foreign Languages and Linguistics 1

Spanish Language and Literature Bachelor 3 graduates

History 1

History, General Bachelor 3 graduates

Philosophy and Religious Studies 1

Philosophy Bachelor 2 graduates

Mathematics and Statistics 1

Mathematics Bachelor

Outcomes

Retention is for students who started in fall 2023 and returned in fall 2024.

First-year retention, full-time students: 74%
First-year retention, part-time students: 100%
Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1

Degrees and certificates awarded

Awards conferred between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.

Bachelor's degrees: 164

Enrollment

Students, fall 2024: 936
Undergraduates, fall 2024: 936
Full-time, fall 2024: 98%
Students over the full 2024-25 year: 997
Full-time, 2024-25: 97%
Size category: Under 1,000 students

Student body

Share of all students enrolled during 2024-25. Small groups can round to zero and are not listed.

Women: 46%
Men: 54%
White: 73%
Hispanic or Latino: 7%
Black or African American: 7%
Asian: 1%
Two or more races: 6%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 5%
International (U.S. nonresident): 1%

Online and flexible learning

Distance education in 2024-25.

Students studying fully online: 0%
Students taking some online courses: 0%

Campus and services

Setting: Town
Academic calendar: Semester
Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus
Athletic association: NCAA
Athletic conference: USA South Athletic Conference
President: Bonnie H. Cordon
Services and opportunities: Study abroad, Teacher certification, Academic and career counseling, Student employment services, Job placement for graduates, Accepts AP credit
For veterans and service members: Yellow Ribbon Program, Credit for military training

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