Virginia State University has a long and storied history that dates back to its founding in 1882. Originally named the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, it was founded by the General Assembly of Virginia to provide higher education opportunities to African-Americans. The school was initially operated by the American Missionary Association, a religious organization devoted to providing education and other opportunities for freed slaves. In 1902, the school’s name was changed to Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute, reflecting its changing focus on industrial education. In 1923, the school once again changed its name, this time to Virginia State College for Negroes. This name change reflected an increased emphasis on academic courses rather than vocational training.
In 1930, the school was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and in 1946 it officially became known as Virginia State College. During this time period, most of its students were African-American but it also accepted students from other racial backgrounds as well. In 1979, following many years of lobbying from alumni and supporters of the college, it finally achieved university status and became known as Virginia State University. Since then VSU has grown into a comprehensive university offering over seventy undergraduate majors and more than twenty graduate programs across five colleges: Business & Economics; Liberal Arts & Education; Science & Technology; Social Sciences & Public Policy; Health Sciences & Human Services. See topschoolsintheusa for top high schools in Kentucky.
Virginia State University, as one of the top colleges ranked by major educational institutions, has impressed us by its high selectivity and student friendly application process during admissions. The following tables detail 2018 class profile, including total applications received, average high school GPA, SAT scores/ACT scores, and acceptance rates of Virginia State University. To learn more about GPA, SAT and ACT scores information, please follow the links below. If you want to find even more about Virginia State University, such as tuition fees and scholarships, you can click the link after tables to visit the school’s official website.
University acronym: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/vsu_virginia-state-university.html
Admissions Stats
Virginia State University is a public university located in Petersburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1882 and is the oldest historically black university in the United States. The university enrolls more than 5,000 students each year from all over the country. The student body is comprised of 47% African American students, 17% White students, 8% Hispanic students, 3% Asian American students and 25% other ethnicities. The admissions rate for Virginia State University is 44%. This means that out of every 100 applicants, 44 will be accepted into the university. For fall 2019, the average GPA of admitted freshman was 3.53 and the average SAT score was 1143. In addition to academic requirements, VSU also considers extracurricular activities, community service and personal essays when making admissions decisions. These factors can help an applicant stand out among other applicants and improve their chances of being accepted into VSU.
Fall 2022 Selectivity
| Selectivity | less selective |
| Fall 2022 acceptance rate | 51% |
| Early decision acceptance rate | N/A |
| Early action acceptance rate | N/A |
| Acceptance rate (excluding early action and early decision students) | 51% |
Fall 2022 Applications, Acceptances & Enrollments
| Applicants | 8,567 |
| Female applicants | N/A |
| Male applicants | N/A |
| Applicants accepted | 4,406 |
| Female applicants accepted | N/A |
| Male applicants accepted | N/A |
| Freshman enrollment | 1,260 |
| Female freshman enrollment | 775 |
| Male freshman enrollment | 485 |
| Early decision applicants | N/A |
| Early decision applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early decision applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Early action applicants | N/A |
| Early action applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early action applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Total enrolled incoming freshmen who were accepted under early acceptance or early action | N/A |
Fall 2022 Wait List
| School has a wait list | No |
| Applicants placed on wait list | N/A |
| Students accepting place on wait list | N/A |
| Students accepted from wait list | N/A |
Fall 2022 High School Rank
| Freshman students submitting high school class standing | 84% |
Fall 2022 High School GPA
| Freshman students submitting high school GPA | 89% |
| Average high school GPA | 2.7 |
| High school GPA 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
Fall 2022 Freshman SAT Scores
| Freshman students submitting SAT scores | 89% |
| SAT Critical Reading average score | 434 |
| SAT Critical Reading 25th-75th percentile range | 390-460 |
| SAT Math average score | 435 |
| SAT Math 25th-75th percentile range: | 390-470 |
| SAT Writing average score | 417 |
| SAT Writing 25th-75th percentile range | 380-460 |
| SAT Essay 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
Fall 2022 Freshman ACT Scores
| Freshman students submitting ACT scores | 23% |
| Average ACT Composite score | 18 |
| ACT Composite 25th-75th percentile range | 16-19 |
| ACT English 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| ACT English score breakdown | N/A |
| ACT Math 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| ACT Math score breakdown | N/A |