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Colleges in and near Radford

Radford is a college town: 39 of every 100 residents are students

Radford University (5,864 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Virginia, 7 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town39% of residents are studentsRadford University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Radford. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
4
48,422 students on campus
Nearest college
1.3 mi
Radford University
Residents in college
39%
Above VA (7%)
Nearest community college
7.6 mi
New River · $4,979 tuition
Nearest public university
1.3 mi
Radford University · $12,548 in-state
Students on campus in Radford
5,864
next to 17,243 residents

What stands out about college in Radford

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town39 of every 100 Radford residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.A university in RadfordRadford University has 5,864 students on campus in Radford, 49% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Radford UniversityLiving in Virginia, Radford University charges $12,548 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $25,633. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 7.6 miles awayNew River Community College in Dublin: tuition and fees $4,979 a year for Virginia residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Radford

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

39 of every 100 Radford residents are in college (VA: 7).

5,864students on campus at Radford University, next to 17,243 residents (dorm students count as residents)
3,465college students live in Radford households rather than dorms
23.3median age · VA 39.0
56%of residents are women · VA 51% (±1.2 points)
58%of homes rented · VA 33%
$1,033median rent · 35% below the state
RadfordRadford, VA
Cost of living$1,033/mo median rentB−SafetyCrime reported to the FBIB−HealthCDC estimatesB−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundCHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Radford’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 29.4% of Radford residents are below the poverty line, 16.4% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 7 points either way). 66% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living B−

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (39% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Radford’s median age is 23.3 (Virginia 39.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Radford

One private college within 10.1 miles, two public colleges within 10.6 miles, and New River Community College 7.6 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miRadford UniversityNew RiverRadford
University or collegeCommunity college
Radford UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 5,864 on campus · In Radford90%admitted$15knet price49%graduate$54kearningsNew River Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 3,166 on campus · 7.6 mi · Dublin$6knet price50%graduate$40kearningsTuition and fees: $4,979 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Edward Via College of Osteopathic MedicineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 2,596 on campus · 10.1 mi · BlacksburgGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 36,796 on campus · 10.6 mi · Blacksburg55%admitted$25knet price86%graduate$82kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Radford’s median household income ($57,348) falls.

New River Community College7.6 mi · Dublin · sticker $13,864 · tuition $4,979$7,993a year
Radford UniversityIn Radford · sticker $28,405$12,069a year
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University10.6 mi · Blacksburg · sticker $36,951$17,894a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Radford: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k$100k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Radford UniversityNew RiverVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University86% graduate$82k earnings$22k typical debt
Radford University49% graduate$54k earnings$24k typical debt
New River Community College50% graduate$40k earnings$9k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Radford

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Radford University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 31%Business 14%Interdisciplinary 8%Psychology 6%Visual & performing arts 6%Public safety 6%Everything else 29%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing258 graduates a year
$81k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations118 graduates a year
$67k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections116 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other111 graduates a year
$50k4 yrs out
Psychology, General104 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Biology, General73 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Marketing63 graduates a year
$63k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas61 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Radford

Is Radford a college town?

Yes. 39 of every 100 Radford residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 7 across Virginia. Radford University has 5,864 students on campus, next to 17,243 residents.

What colleges are in Radford?

Radford University is inside the city. New River Community College is 7.6 miles away in Dublin.

Why is Radford’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 29.4% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 16.4% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 7 points).

What is the closest community college to Radford, and what does it cost?

New River Community College in Dublin, 7.6 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,979 a year for Virginia residents; the federal net price, $6,279, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Radford University?

Radford University admitted 90% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 940–1,160 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Radford. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →