Southern Virginia University
Tuition, net price, acceptance rate, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Buena Vista, Virginia
Net price / year
$22,213
after grants & scholarships
lower than 54% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Acceptance rate
96%
Graduation rate
36%
within 150% of normal time
lower than 86% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Median earnings
$44,267
4 years after graduating
lower than 88% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Southern Virginia University at a glance
- What is the tuition at Southern Virginia University?
- Undergraduate tuition and fees are $21,280 for the 2024-25 academic year.
- What is the cost of attendance at Southern Virginia University?
- The average cost of attendance is $34,431 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at Southern Virginia University?
- The average net price is $22,213 a year after grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at Southern Virginia University?
- About 96% of applicants were admitted (fall 2024).
- Is Southern Virginia University test optional?
- Test policy reported to the federal government: Tests neither required nor recommended.
- What is the graduation rate at Southern Virginia University?
- 36% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 6 years (entering classes through fall 2018).
- How much do graduates of Southern Virginia University earn?
- The median graduate earns $44,267 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- Families earning under $30,000 pay about $18,957 a year on average, versus $27,108 for families earning over $110,000.
- It would take about 11.6 years of the earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate to cover the estimated net cost (not counting income forgone while studying).
- Pell Grant recipients completed within 150% of normal time at a rate of 27%, compared with 36% for all students, a gap of 9 points.
- Graduates earn a median $44,267 four years after finishing, less than 88% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- The school admits 96% of applicants, so most who apply are accepted.
Tuition and cost of attendance at Southern Virginia University
Average net price
$22,213 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the Southern Virginia University net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$88,852
Net price × 4 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $18,957
- $30–48k $19,501
- $48–75k $20,630
- $75–110k $23,407
- $110k+ $27,108
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $34,431
- Tuition & fees$21,280
- Books & supplies$1,500
- Room & board$9,894
- Other expenses$3,500
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $21,280
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $21,280
Southern Virginia University acceptance rate and admissions
Acceptance rate
Share of applicants admitted.
Test policy: Tests neither required nor recommended
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Southern Virginia University
Graduation rate
36%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
78%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$257
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
11.6 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.5×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 7%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Completion within 150% of normal time, by group
Share of students who entered in 2018 and completed within 150% of normal time (six years at a four-year college, three at a two-year college).
All students, same entering cohort: 33%
Group rates and the all-student rate come from the same 2018 entering cohort, so they can be compared directly. Groups at small colleges can rest on very few students. Data period: Entering cohort 2018 (IPEDS).
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $27,572 · median $50,002 · 75th percentile $74,656
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at Southern Virginia University ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 43 | $56,726 | — | U.S. median $68,407 U.S. middle half $48.2K–$94.6K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's · Graduates: 219 | $40,419 | 1 yr$22,0244 yrs$40,4195 yrs$40,640 | U.S. median $53,072 U.S. middle half $35.8K–$73.3K · Below the U.S. median | $17,125 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 17 Small sample | $36,808 | — | U.S. median $50,706 U.S. middle half $35.7K–$67.2K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| English Language and Literature, General Bachelor's · Graduates: 17 Small sample | $33,115 | — | U.S. median $48,590 U.S. middle half $33.7K–$63.8K · Below the U.S. median | — |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 72.8%
- Black or African American 6.8%
- Hispanic or Latino 6.9%
- Asian 1%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 4.8%
- Two or more races 5.9%
- U.S. nonresident 1.4%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 0%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 53.1%
- Women 46.9%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
6%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 936
- Part-time students
- 2%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 45%
- Receive federal loans
- 57%
- Students per faculty member
- 14 : 1
- Setting
- Town
Similar colleges
Schools of a similar type, price, size and outcomes.
-
Hollins University
Roanoke, VA
Net price $20,896Earnings $44,151
-
Ferrum College
Ferrum, VA
Net price $20,082Earnings $46,725
-
Emory & Henry University
Emory, VA
Net price $19,061Earnings $47,079
-
Virginia Wesleyan University
Virginia Beach, VA
Net price $19,676Earnings $50,183
-
Young Harris College
Young Harris, GA
Net price $22,034Earnings $43,173
-
Dillard University
New Orleans, LA
Net price $22,094Earnings $48,421
Guides worth reading
Plain-language explainers that help you read the numbers on this page.
More in Virginia
In Virginia
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Southern Virginia University?
For the 2024-25 academic year, Southern Virginia University reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $21,280. This is the published price before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at Southern Virginia University?
The average cost of attendance at Southern Virginia University is $34,431 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $22,213 a year. That is around the middle of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at Southern Virginia University get?
45% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 57% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $18,957 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $27,108 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at Southern Virginia University?
Southern Virginia University admitted about 96% of applicants in fall 2024. That means most applicants are admitted.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Southern Virginia University?
36% of first-time, full-time students at Southern Virginia University finish within 150% of normal time. 78% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do Southern Virginia University graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $44,267 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $25,041.
Is Southern Virginia University worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Southern Virginia University, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 11.6 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $24,224, about 0.5 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 36% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
How much debt do Southern Virginia University graduates have?
Graduates who borrowed have a median federal-loan debt of $24,224, or about $257 a month on a 10-year plan.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things