Quad

Head-to-head

Norfolk State
Virginia State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Virginia State has 7 pts more Pell recipients than Norfolk State (72% vs. 65%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  2. 2

    Norfolk State is more diverse (index 0.35 vs. 0.30)

    Diversity index
  3. 3

    Norfolk State has 3 pts more first-gen students than Virginia State (37% vs. 34%)

    First-generation students
  4. 4

    Virginia State graduates 3 pts more of its students than Norfolk State (46% vs. 43%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    Virginia State's SAT midpoint is 28 points higher than Norfolk State's

    SAT midpoint
  6. 6

    Norfolk State's yield is 2 pts higher than Virginia State's

    Yield rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Norfolk State admits 88%, Virginia State 89%; Norfolk State's yield is higher, at 13%.

Acceptance rate
Norfolk State88%
Virginia State89%
Quad's selectivity
  • Norfolk StateOpen
  • Virginia StateOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 700–1600
Norfolk State
823–1030
Virginia State
840–1070
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Norfolk StateGPA and school record required
  • Virginia StateRigor, GPA, and rank very important14%

Who's on each campus

Norfolk State and Virginia State are about the same size; Virginia State has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Norfolk State5.4K
Virginia State5.1K
Pell Grant share
Norfolk State65%
Virginia State72%

Majors and faculty

Business/Commerce leads at Norfolk State, and Criminal Justice/Safety Studies at Virginia State; Virginia State has 13 students per faculty member to Norfolk State's 15.

Students per faculty member
Norfolk State15 to 1
Virginia State13 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Norfolk StateBusiness/Commerce, General14%
  • Virginia StateCriminal Justice/Safety Studies10%

What each costs

Norfolk State and Virginia State cost about the same a year on average; grants cover the same share of the price at both, 36%.

Average cost, all students
Norfolk State$20K
Virginia State$20.7K
Aid generosity
Norfolk State36%
Virginia State36%

What each pays off

Virginia State's former students earn more, a median $45.5K ten years after enrolling; six-year graduation runs from 46% at Virginia State to 43% at Norfolk State.

Median earnings, 10 years
Norfolk State$44.7K
Virginia State$45.5K
Graduation rate
Norfolk State43%
Virginia State46%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Norfolk StateGrowing+299%
  • Virginia StateGrowing+99%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Virginia State University (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;Virginia State University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why