Longwood University, in Farmville, Virginia, is a public university that almost no one outside that state knows at first. And that does not make it less significant. I am going to explain, using the official data that the United States government publishes about it, what kind of school it is, what it really costs, who gets in, who stays, and who finishes. Not to tell you whether it is right for your family—that is not something an article can decide—but so that you can begin deciding with real information in hand.
What Kind of University It Is
Longwood is a four-year public university. The federal government, through its Carnegie Classification system, describes it as a master's university with medium-sized programs: it offers bachelor's degrees as well as graduate programs, although its primary identity remains that of an undergraduate school.
It is also a highly residential school. That has a specific meaning: at the time of the latest Carnegie snapshot, at least half of degree-seeking students lived in university-owned or university-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 studied full time. If your child goes to Longwood, statistically, they will most likely live there rather than commute each day. That matters for the budget: room and board are charged separately from tuition and are almost never included together in the first number you see in a brochure. Ask for them separately before comparing this school with any other.
Longwood is in Farmville, in Prince Edward County. The area surrounding the campus is a town, away from large urban areas. If your family does not live nearby, it is worth calculating separately where your child would live, how they would get there, and how easy it would be to visit or for them to return home over a long weekend.
One note that many families look for and that is worth stating clearly here: Longwood has none of these three federal designations—it is not a historically Black college or university (HBCU), it is not a tribal college or university, and it is not a land-grant institution. That does not say which communities it serves or how your child would feel there. Ask about that directly: what student organizations exist today, what cultural centers are available, and—most usefully—talk with someone who is already studying there.
The Size of the Community and Who Makes It Up
Longwood had 4,545 students enrolled in the latest official fall count. It is a medium-sized school. Of that total, 3,223 are undergraduates and 1,322 are graduate students. If your child is about to begin a bachelor's degree, the number that matters to them is 3,223, not the total: a substantial portion of that larger figure consists of people who have already completed a degree and are pursuing graduate study.
Compared with the other 519 selective-admission, four-year public schools included in the same federal census, Longwood is on the smaller side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, have more students than Longwood.
Now, who makes up that community:
| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| Women | 70 out of every 100 |
| Hispanic or Latino students | 8 out of every 100 |
| Students ages 25 to 64 | 5 out of every 100 |
| First-time students with a Virginia address | 93 out of every 100 |
Women are a clear majority. Latino students are a small minority—at the undergraduate level, 8 out of every 100 places Longwood below the midpoint of the comparison group of similar schools. That neither removes the school from the list nor puts it on the list. It is a fact that needs to be paired with another question: what is available there for a Latino student, if your child will be one of the few? A student group, a cultural center, someone in the office who speaks Spanish. The number describes the school as a whole; your child's specific major may look different.
And almost everyone comes from Virginia: 93 out of every 100 first-time students reported a permanent address in the state when they applied. If you live outside Virginia, your child would enter a community where most people share a background that your child does not. It is not a fact that decides anything, but it is worth knowing before arriving.
How Academics Work
Longwood's academic year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. It is the standard calendar most families know.
The university accepts credit for AP exams. It did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience. That sounds like a way to save time and money, and it can be, but do not assume the savings without confirming them: accepting AP does not tell you what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward your child's specific major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling.
It also reported that it enrolls high school students in college courses for credit, both within and outside a formal dual-enrollment program, and that it accepts credit for military training.
As for its academic offerings: in the latest reported year, Longwood awarded 716 bachelor's degrees across 19 fields of study. No field accounts for a large share: the most popular was business and management, and even that represented only 15 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. The offerings are broad, with no single major dominating. Still, 19 fields with activity are not the same as 19 specific majors—each field groups several programs, and some may report zero. Verify the exact program your child is interested in, not just the general area.
The ratio of students to instructional staff, measured in full-time equivalents, is 14 to 1. It is a low ratio compared with similar schools. Be careful: this does not tell you the actual size of a classroom or guarantee more personal attention. It is an institutional average, not a promise about your child's class.
Longwood also reports structured opportunities whose specific details are worth asking about: study abroad, undergraduate research alongside faculty, a program that can be completed entirely in the evenings or on weekends, and several teacher preparation and certification pathways, including state approval for initial teacher certification.
Getting Into Longwood: What They Require and What Actually Happens
This is where many parents want to go straight to the number. Let's do that.
Longwood does not have open admission. It reviews application components before saying yes. Of the nine elements the government asks universities about in their admissions process, four are required here: the high school transcript, grade point average, completion of the college-preparatory coursework the university requires, and an English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Other elements are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, work experience, and whether a family member studied there. That last one—legacy status—is something your child cannot change. If it does not apply, do not spend energy on it; spend it on what is within your child's control.
The undergraduate application fee is $50.
Now, the numbers that really describe how accessible this school is:
Out of every 100 applicants, 85 received an offer of admission. That is a high admission rate. Compared with similar schools, Longwood ranks slightly above the midpoint of the group: it is one of the schools that does admit applicants, without being unusual among its peers. Even so, 924 of the 6,078 applicants did not receive an offer that cycle. Admission is likely, not automatic, and the complete application must be submitted on time.
But here is a figure that changes the conversation: out of every 100 admitted students, only 15 ultimately enrolled. Put another way, out of every 7 people who receive a yes, about one actually arrives for classes at Longwood. Do not read this as a blemish on the school—the federal record does not say why each person made their choice—but do not ignore it either: it means that many use admission here as a backup while deciding on something else. What others decided does not tell you what Longwood will offer your child. Wait for the letter showing the net price: that number, not the general statistics, is what determines whether the school stays on the list.
As for standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If submitted, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds the same way. Among the students who did enroll, 31 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among them the middle half scored between 520 and 620 in reading and writing and between 500 and 570 in mathematics. Those numbers describe students who had already enrolled and submitted scores—not all applicants—so they are neither a minimum nor a guarantee.
About transfers: of the class that entered in 2017 seeking bachelor's degrees, 24 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing at Longwood. Transferring is not failing. It is still useful for your child to know in advance how to request the paperwork needed to leave, just in case. And in the other direction, 144 students arrived at Longwood in the latest reported fall after previously studying at another institution. That figure counts people, not accepted credits: if your child transfers in, ask in writing, with the course list in hand, which credits Longwood will accept.
The Price: What the Brochure Says and What It May Really Cost
At Longwood University, among 83 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $14,546. Among 62 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $18,489; among 143 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $26,405. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income and their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (83 students) and the average for the highest-income band (143 students) is $11,859. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $22,900.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same period coverage, Longwood falls within the most expensive quarter for the lowest-income families. That does not mean it should be ruled out. It means you should ask for the financial aid letter before deciding.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
Aid and Debt: Who Receives What and How Much Is Borrowed
94 out of every 100 degree-seeking students receive some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Here, receiving something is the norm. Among those who receive it, the annual average is $9,779.
The federal Pell Grant—for low-income families—went to 27 out of every 100 students. That is less than one-third. The difference between the 94% who receive any aid and the 27% who receive Pell Grants may come from state, institutional, or other sources; the report does not make it possible to know exactly which ones. It is worth asking directly which programs account for that difference.
A high aid figure is not a personal promise. It is what happened with other students in a specific year. Ask in writing which applications must be completed, what the deadlines are, and what happens to the aid if grades fall.
As for loans: 49 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the latest reported year. That is a high share compared with similar schools—on the high side of the group. Among those who borrowed, each borrowed an average of $6,465 that year. If that amount were repeated in each of the four years of the degree, the total would be around $25,860, not including interest. That calculation should be made before the first signature, not at the end.
That average is for a single year and only for federal loans in the student's name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes take out, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduating. That would require adding all four full years, and that figure is not in this report.
Longwood also offers an installment tuition payment plan as a way to manage the cost.
Campus Life and Available Support
Longwood does not require all full-time students to live on campus, but it does have institutional housing, with a reported capacity of 2,454 students, and meal plans with a fixed number of meals per week in its largest option. The existence of housing does not guarantee a spot: ask about the rate for the year, the application deadline, and whether there is a waiting list.
ROTC is available, with the Army branch confirmed in writing; Navy and Air Force are not marked in the report. That does not mean they are impossible, only that they are not confirmed there: ask directly.
Longwood competes in intercollegiate athletics under the NCAA, with confirmed membership in basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child plays, the conversation should be with the coach for that specific sport: whether there is a spot, what division the team competes in, and whether it offers scholarships.
It offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although in the most recent count only 7 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes remotely; the rest took at least one class in person.
The library has employed staff, physical and digital collections, and interlibrary lending. Among the services the institution reports are combined academic and career counseling, employment support for current students and graduates, on-campus child care, a postsecondary transition program for students with intellectual disabilities, and a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families.
How Many Stay and How Many Finish
This is perhaps the section that most directly answers every parent's unspoken question: if my child starts here, will they finish?
Of the class that entered in 2022 seeking bachelor's degrees full time, 78 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. That result is slightly above the midpoint among similar schools. This figure does not separate those who had already graduated from those who were simply still studying, and “not returning” does not always mean dropping out: someone who transferred and continued studying at another school is counted differently from someone who left school, although the figure does not distinguish between them.
As for graduation, for a cohort of 1,013 students who entered in 2017:
| Time frame | Earned a Longwood degree |
|---|---|
| 4 years | 47 out of every 100 |
| 6 years | 62 out of every 100 |
That gap of 15 points between four and six years is real and worth accounting for in the budget: four years is the period most families plan to pay for, but a significant share of Longwood students take longer. Of the rest of that cohort of 1,013 students, 246 transferred to another school without completing here, 6 remained enrolled without finishing, and 137 were no longer enrolled at the time of the snapshot. Compared with similar schools, Longwood ranks in the upper half of the group for this six-year rate.
Before deciding, ask how long the specific program your child is interested in typically takes, how required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the plan extends by another year.
At eight years, following a broader cohort that entered in 2015-16 (including full-time and part-time students), 67 out of every 100 had earned a Longwood degree or certificate. Among Pell Grant recipients, that figure falls to 57 out of every 100—13 points lower than among students who did not receive Pell Grants. It is a gap worth asking admissions about directly: what specific support exists for students with Pell Grants, whether an advisor is assigned, whether emergency assistance is available, and whether the grant is renewed each year. Get the answers in writing.
What You Already Know and What Is Still Yours to Decide
None of this tells your child whether they will be happy there, whether that specific major is strong, or whether that community will feel like a place where they belong. They will have to explore that themselves, with their curiosity and effort. And there is another part this article does not tell you: how much you can afford, how far away you are willing to let your child move, and how much the type of community you have just read about matters to your family.
Combine this information with what your child wants to study, what they have already accomplished in high school, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A realistic plan comes from that combination, not from this article alone.
Source note: the information in this article comes from official data reported by Longwood University to the United States Department of Education's IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), primarily corresponding to the years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. Best College Aid does not represent Longwood University or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help families understand it.