Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Virginia State University, Fort Valley State University, Norfolk State University. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | Virginia StatePetersburg, VA | Fort ValleyFort Valley, GA | Norfolk StateNorfolk, VA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 88.6% | 65.9% | 87.8% |
| SAT middle 50% | 840–1070 | 930–1070 | 823–1030 |
| Average net price | $15,84072.1% on Pell grants | $10,33873.3% on Pell grants | $15,28265.0% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $10,043 in-state · $22,650 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $5,526 in-state · $16,932 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,180 in-state · $21,682 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 39.4% | 41.1% | 38.5% |
| First-year retention | 69.4% | 78.5% | 72.6% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 72.1% | 73.3% | 65.0% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $45,543 | $36,666 | $44,666 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,500 | $31,000 | $29,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 13:1 | 18:1 | 18:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,074 | 2,684 | 5,392 |
| Consensus percentile | 38Lower is better | 39Lower is better | 38Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 9 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 19 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 7 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Virginia State | Fort Valley | Norfolk State |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #57 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 | #62 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 | #55 of 135Regional univ. (South)Regional Universities (South) · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Washington Monthly | #506 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #646 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #594 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #1032 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #698 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #875 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Virginia State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Fort Valley State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Norfolk State University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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