The Virginia State Experience

Looking for a university where the faculty and staff turn dreams into reality? Look no further than Virginia State University. A student population of nearly 5,000 enjoys personal attention by the faculty and staff not typically found at larger institutions. U.S. News & World Report acknowledged VSU's excellence by naming the University the top, public, master's level HBCU in America!

Virginia State University was founded in 1882 as the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, making it the first fully state supported, four-year institution of higher learning for Blacks in America. Today, Virginia State University is one of Virginia's two land-grant institutions.

The campus sits atop a rolling landscape overlooking the Appomattox River in the Chesterfield County village of Ettrick. It is accessible by Interstates 95 and 85, which intersect in adjacent Petersburg, as well as U.S. Routes 1, 301 and 460. The University is centrally located about two hours away from Washington, DC to the north, the North Carolina Triangle area to the south, the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

VSU students live and learn on a 236-acre main campus, with more than 50 buildings, including 15 dormitories and 16 classroom buildings, and a 416-acre agricultural research facility.

Led by its 12th president, Eddie N. Moore, Jr., former Virginia State Treasurer, the University boasts healthy fiscal management and growth, with a 2007-08 operating budget of over $125 million.

The University's academic programs include the "Bridges to Baccalaureate" program for students transferring from two-year colleges who want to major in the sciences, the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge and the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program for students planning to pursue doctoral degrees in their chosen field of study. Honors scholarships are also available to entering freshmen, including the Presidential and Provost Scholarships. In 2006, VSU inaugurated the Low Income Families With Talented Students (LIFTS) financial aid program, the first of its kind among HBCUs. LIFTS promises to meet 100 percent of a qualifying student's financial need by providing 75 percent of a student's need through scholarships and grants and limiting debt through student loans to 25 percent of VSU's in-state cost of attendance over four years, regardless of state residency. Admissions and academic information is available at the University's Web site, www.vsu.edu or by calling (800) 871-7611.

Virginia State University offers 50 baccalaureate and master's degree programs and a Certificate of Advanced Study within five schools: The School of Agriculture; The School of Business; The School of Engineering, Science and Technology; The School of Liberal Arts and Education; and The School of Graduate Studies, Research and Outreach. In 2006, Virginia State University graduated its first-ever doctoral students, who earned their Doctor of Education in Administration and Supervision. In 2005, VSU welcomed the first students to its Nursing Program. This important program was introduced to meet the pressing need for qualified nurses in the Southside Virginia region.

The School of Graduate Studies coordinates a bachelor of individualized studies degree program, a non-traditional baccalaureate program primarily for working adults. Students can pursue the degree on a full-time or part-time basis.

Through a challenging academic program, diverse student organizations and exciting extracurricular activities, Virginia State University encourages students to dream, explore and succeed.