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University or college · Public

Norfolk State University

Norfolk, VAHistorically Black college785 online only

Norfolk State University is a public university in Norfolk, VA, with about 5,260 students on campus.

Visit www.nsu.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
5,260
plus 785 studying only online
Admission rate
88%
higher than at 71% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$15,282
lower than at 72% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
39%
lower than at 80% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$44,666
higher than at 60% of U.S. colleges
In brief

Norfolk State University, in brief

Norfolk State University is a historically Black college

It was founded to educate Black students, and 80% of undergraduates today are Black. The students ↓

Loan payments above the 10% comfort line

The typical graduate owes $29,000, about $307 a month over ten years. That’s 11.0% of a typical former student’s monthly pay six years after starting, above the 10% many advisers treat as a comfort line. Outcomes ↓

Most students come from lower-income families

65% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal grant for lower-income students. The students ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Who goes there

The students

5,392 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 2%Hispanic 5%Black 80%Two or more 5%International 7%

Women and men

Women 68%Men 32%
15 : 1
students per teacher
65%
get Pell grants (lower income)
64%
take federal loans
14%
undergrads 25 or older
8%
study part time
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Norfolk State University?

88%

of applicants admitted

About 18 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

SAT reading
430–520
SAT math
393–510
ACT
16–22

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 927.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $26,633 a year

Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $21,682

Tuition & fees (in state) $10,180Room & board $11,591Books & supplies $1,000Other costs $3,862

After grants, the average family on aid pays $15,282.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$15,507

About $62,028 over 4 years · 42% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
39%
within 6 years · Pell students 34%
Come back for year two
73%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$44,666
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$29,000
about $307 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

11%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$307 a month against about $2,784 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

27%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 12% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$41k
Middle income$30–75k
$49k
Higher incomeover $75k
$49k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 15%Health professions 13%Psychology 13%Social sciences 9%Interdisciplinary 8%Communication 7%Everything else 36%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Psychology, General112 graduates a year
—not reported
Business/Commerce, General84 graduates a year
—not reported
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other62 graduates a year
—not reported
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other61 graduates a year
—not reported
Biology, General56 graduates a year
—not reported
Social Work56 graduates a year
—not reported
Sociology56 graduates a year
—not reported
Health and Medical Administrative Services49 graduates a year
—not reported
The town around it

Living in Norfolk

10% of Norfolk’s 231,013 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Norfolk pages.

Norfolk →
NorfolkNorfolk, VA
$1,321/momedian rent · 16% below the state$311Ktypical home valueDSafety Grade33° / 88°January low / July high · 6" of snowC+Health GradeAll colleges in and near NorfolkCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Norfolk State University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Tidewater Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Norfolk
1.7 mi10,715 students
Eastern Virginia Medical SchoolUniversity or college · Public · Norfolk
2.4 mi1,011 students
Old Dominion UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Norfolk
3.6 mi14,191 students
Virginia Wesleyan UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Virginia Beach
4.4 mi1,494 students
ECPI UniversityUniversity or college · For-profit · Virginia Beach
4.6 mi8,018 students
Regent UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Virginia Beach · mostly online
4.9 mi1,955 students
Sentara College of Health SciencesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Chesapeake
5 mi283 students
Centura College-ChesapeakeUniversity or college · For-profit · Chesapeake
6 mi206 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.