Petersburg, Virginia · Public · 4-year · Large suburb
Overview
Virginia State University is a public four-year institution in Petersburg, Virginia. Its campus is in a large suburban area. It enrolled 5,605 students in fall 2024, including 5,124 undergraduates and 481 graduate students. It is a historically Black college or university and a land-grant institution. It holds the Carnegie R2 designation for high research activity.
Virginia State University offers certificates, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees across 50 programs. Its largest programs by number of graduates are Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, Psychology, General, and Business Administration and Management. It awarded 840 degrees and certificates in 2024-25. 2 of its programs can be completed entirely online.
69% of full-time first-year students return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio is 13 to 1.
Key figures
5,605
Students enrolled
69%
First-year retention
840
Degrees and certificates awarded, 2024-25
50
Programs and majors
13:1
Student-to-faculty ratio
Free, no obligation
Request information about Virginia State University
Tell us which programs interest you and we will reply with details on this school and others like it.
Tell us the programs you are considering and when you want to start.
We reply by email with schools and programs that fit what you told us.
We use your details only to respond to your request.
Delivery modes
CampusOnlineHybrid
Program levels
CertificateBachelorMasterPhD
Programs and majors offered 50
Graduate counts are degrees and certificates awarded in each program between July 2024 and June 2025. Largest fields are listed first.
Retention is for students who started in fall 2023 and returned in fall 2024.
First-year retention, full-time students
69%
First-year retention, part-time students
25%
Student-to-faculty ratio
13:1
Degrees and certificates awarded
Awards conferred between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Bachelor's degrees
702
Master's degrees
115
Doctoral degrees (research)
17
Postbaccalaureate certificates
6
Enrollment
Students, fall 2024
5,605
Undergraduates, fall 2024
5,124
Graduate students, fall 2024
481
Full-time, fall 2024
93%
Students over the full 2024-25 year
6,500
Undergraduates, 2024-25
5,876
Graduate students, 2024-25
624
Full-time, 2024-25
85%
Size category
5,000 to 9,999 students
Student body
Share of all students enrolled during 2024-25. Small groups can round to zero and are not listed.
Women
60%
Men
40%
White
2%
Hispanic or Latino
6%
Black or African American
83%
Two or more races
5%
International (U.S. nonresident)
1%
Race or ethnicity unknown
2%
Online and flexible learning
Distance education in 2024-25.
Programs that can be completed fully online
2
Programs with a fully online option
5
Online undergraduate programs
Yes
Online graduate programs
Yes
Students studying fully online
1%
Students taking some online courses
4%
Campus and services
Setting
Large suburb
Academic calendar
Semester
Carnegie classification
Master's Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Research designation
Research 2: High Spending and Doctorate Production
Athletic association
NCAA
Athletic conference
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
President
Makola M. Abdullah
Services and opportunities
Study abroad, ROTC, Teacher certification, Academic and career counseling, Student employment services, Job placement for graduates, Accepts AP credit, Credit for life experience