We are going to walk through the official data—the information the university itself reports to the United States government—in the same order a family needs to understand it: first, what kind of school this is; then, what it costs; then, how easy it is to get in and how likely students are to leave with a degree. At the end of each section, I will tell you what question to ask, not what to decide. That part is up to you.
What Kind of University This Is
University of the Virgin Islands is in Charlotte Amalie, in the United States Virgin Islands. It is a public, four-year-or-more institution, and the government classifies it as a "master's" institution with small programs: it offers bachelor's degrees as well as graduate programs, through the doctoral level according to its reporting. That does not mean your child's field has a direct path from undergraduate to graduate study—that must be verified program by program.
There are two labels worth knowing because they describe where the school comes from, not what its classrooms are like today. In the official 2023 file, University of the Virgin Islands is identified as both a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and a Land Grant Institution. These are two separate designations, and both are marked for this school. They tell you about its history; they do not tell you whom it admits today or what actual support your child will receive. That support shows up in things with names: which student center exists, which scholarship applies, and who answers the phone in April. Ask directly.
As for the setting, the campus is classified as rural, near a town rather than within a large urban area. The federal classification also describes it as "primarily nonresidential"—a technical label meaning that fewer than one in four undergraduates live in institution-provided housing, or that fewer than half attend full time (the data do not specify which of the two conditions applied). If your family does not live nearby, this is not a minor detail: separately calculate where your child would live, how your child would get to campus, and how much that transportation would cost. The label locates the school; it does not locate your family.
A Small Community and Who Makes It Up
University of the Virgin Islands had 1,739 students enrolled in the official fall count. It is a medium-sized school under the government's definition, but compared with 519 similar selective public schools, it is among the smallest: at least nine out of ten of those schools have more students. Of that total of 1,739, the vast majority—1,508—are undergraduates. Above all, it is a bachelor's-level institution.
Who studies there? Out of every 100 undergraduates, 15 were reported as Hispanic or Latino in the fall of 2023. That is not a majority, but neither is it unusual: compared with the 519 selective public schools in this group, it ranks above half of them on this measure. Keep in mind a real limitation of that comparison: the peer group is based on the schools' type and control, not their state, and here the state—or more accurately, the territory—matters. There are also more women than men: 69 out of every 100 undergraduates are women. And a substantial part of the community does not fit the image of someone "fresh out of high school": 24 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old.
One operational figure matters in daily life: the official ratio is 10 students for every full-time-equivalent member of the instructional staff, a low figure compared with most of its peers. But that ratio does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class. It is a schoolwide average; ask about the size of the classes your child would take.
How the Academic Year Is Organized
The calendar follows semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks. The university reported that it accepts credit for AP exams, but it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience, and it also reports accepting credit for military training. Saying that it "accepts AP" does not tell you how many points it requires, how many credits it awards, or whether those credits count toward your child's specific degree. Ask for the equivalency table in writing before including those savings in your budget.
It also reports enrolling high school students in college courses for credit, both within and outside a formal dual-enrollment program.
As for what people study there, the university awarded 167 bachelor's degrees in the most recently reported year, distributed across 16 fields of study. But its awards are concentrated: business and administration alone accounted for 58 of those 167 degrees, or 35 out of every 100. Compared with 514 other similar schools, University of the Virgin Islands is in the bottom quartile for the number of fields represented in its reported offerings. With numbers this small, results for a single year can shift considerably from one period to another—ask for the last three years of data for the exact program your child is considering, not just a snapshot of one year.
The university also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, a complete program that can be taken entirely at night or on weekends, developmental education both with and without credit, and pathways to teacher certification. Their presence in the reports does not yet tell you how they work for your child's specific degree; they are starting points for questions.
Getting In: Almost Never the Barrier
Here is one of the clearest figures in the entire record. In 2023, University of the Virgin Islands received 860 applications for first-time admission and accepted 838. That is 97 out of every 100. Compared with 519 similar selective public schools, it is among those that accept the largest shares: at least nine out of ten schools in that group accept a smaller percentage.
Put plainly, your child's effort is better spent meeting deadlines and completing the application carefully than worrying about "whether they will be accepted." The university does review specific items before saying yes—it does not have completely open admission. Of nine possible considerations, it marked four as required: the high school record, GPA, class rank, and an English proficiency exam when applicable. The essay and letters of recommendation are marked as not considered. And if your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now about the English exam: it is one of those requirements families discover late, and it is marked as mandatory when applicable. The undergraduate application fee is $25.
The SAT and ACT are not required. Among enrolled students who submitted SAT scores (28 out of every 100), the middle half scored between 420 and 530 in reading and writing, and between 380 and 490 in mathematics. That range is not an admission minimum or a guarantee of anything: it is only what was reported by students who had already enrolled.
Still, the open door does not tell the whole story. Of those admitted, only 41 out of every 100 actually enrolled at this school that fall—a high figure compared with its peers, where a smaller proportion typically enrolls. This number does not measure quality or satisfaction; it only counts how many admitted students decided to attend. When admission letters arrive from several schools, this figure should not make the decision: place the letters side by side and compare net price, degree program, and distance.
Being easy to enter does not mean the school is inexpensive or that most students finish. Those two calculations—price and graduation—matter more than admission, and they come next.
The Price: The Published Figure and the Residency Gap
At University of the Virgin Islands, among 70 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 $6,828. Among 21 students from the same population whose EFC family income was between $48,001 and $75,000, it was $8,895; among 7 students whose EFC family income was above $110,000, it was $10,895. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income with their own.
Between the average for the lowest-income band (70 students) and the average for the highest-income band (7 students), the difference is $4,067. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship, the average was $7,632.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, this school falls within the least expensive quartile for the lowest-income families after grants and scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it will be inexpensive for your family. It is a figure that matters when you decide which schools to apply to.
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 after grants and scholarships, 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.
How Students Pay: Grants, Loans, and What Is Missing
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students, 69 received some form of aid that does not have to be repaid—a scholarship or grant, regardless of the source. The average amount of that aid, counting only recipients, was $6,698 per year. And 48 out of every 100 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for families with demonstrated financial need. These two figures—the percentage and the average—should not be multiplied together: one describes how many students received aid, while the other describes how much recipients received.
On the loan side, the picture differs from what many people assume: only 17 out of every 100 undergraduates received a federal loan during the 2022-23 school year. Most did not take out a federal loan that year. Compared with its peers, students here rely on federal loans less than at nearly every other school in the group. Among those who did borrow, the average was $5,339 for the year. But that figure does not show how everyone else covered the year—it could have been through scholarships, grants, work, family savings, or another kind of debt not recorded in this report. Nor is it the total debt someone has upon graduation: it covers only one year and only federal loans in the student's name, excluding anything parents borrowed separately.
The university also reports an installment tuition-payment plan and participation in a Promise-type program. Both are worth asking about directly.
Campus Life: Housing, Athletics, Support, and the Library
Institution-controlled housing is available, with a reported capacity of 470 students, either on or off campus. There is no universal requirement that students live there—but that does not mean a specific program cannot require it. Meal plans are also available, with a fixed number of meals per week in the largest plan. Before assuming that your child can live at home or that a room is guaranteed, ask in writing for the year's rate, the housing application deadline, and whether space is guaranteed or there is a waiting list.
The university reports ROTC, with the Army branch confirmed in writing; Navy and Air Force are not marked. Their absence from the report does not mean participation is impossible; it means you need to ask directly.
It competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NAIA, with basketball among the sports reported. This does not tell you which sports are available today, how many places there are, or whether athletic aid is offered—ask the coach of the sport your child is interested in directly.
It offers distance education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Out of every 100 undergraduates, 11 took their entire course load remotely, while the other 89 took at least one class in person. The library has employed staff, physical and digital materials, and interlibrary lending. The university also reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services, placement services for graduates, on-campus childcare, and a page dedicated to services for students with disabilities. Their presence in the reports confirms that they exist as declared services; it does not confirm their quality or how much actual support your child will receive. Ask about that with specific names and contacts.
Staying and Finishing: The Figure That Matters Most
Here is the central tension at this university, and it needs to be stated plainly.
Of the full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in the fall of 2022, 76 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already completed one year later. That means more stayed than left, placing the university slightly above the midpoint among its 519 peers.
But look at what happens when the window is extended. Of the 266 students who entered in 2017 as full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking students, only 11 out of every 100 had graduated within four years—the timeframe most families budget for. By six years, the figure rises to 28 out of every 100. The gap of 17 points measures how much the share with bachelor's degrees increased between the four-year and six-year cutoffs for the same cohort. The data do not show how many semesters each person attended and provide no information about tuition, rent, or wages. Compared with 518 peers, this six-year rate ranks at the very bottom of the table: nine out of ten similar schools report a higher share of graduates.
It is worth looking at the complete breakdown of those 266 students, because the number alone does not tell the entire story: 75 graduated here within the timeframe, 3 completed a shorter program here, 43 transferred to another institution without completing here, 26 remained enrolled without finishing, and 119 fell into the "no longer enrolled" category—a category that does not explain why and may include people who finished after the cutoff.
And if you extend the window to eight years, using a different cohort—637 undergraduate students, with and without prior experience, attending full time and part time, who entered between 2015 and 2016—only 36 out of every 100 had a degree or certificate from this school by the August 2023 cutoff. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 34 out of every 100, five points below the figure for those who did not receive one. Compared with its 519 peers, it also ranks at the very bottom of that table.
None of these numbers says what will happen to your child. They are schoolwide averages, not an individual prediction. But they are a real signal, and the signal is clear: at this university, getting in is almost automatic; finishing within the expected timeframe is the exception. That is not a verdict on your child. It is information that changes the questions you should ask before the first semester: how the required courses in the degree are scheduled, what specific support exists to keep the path from taking longer, and what happens to the total cost if the program takes more than four years.
On the transfer side, from a cohort of 2017, 16 out of every 100 left for another institution without completing here—a low proportion compared with its peers, a majority of which report a higher share leaving. Separately, in the fall of 2023, 81 undergraduates arrived as first-time transfer students after attending another college. Changing schools is not failure. If it is a possibility, ask now how to request the records and which credits would be recognized along the way, in either direction.
What You Now Know and What Remains Yours to Decide
You now know something real about University of the Virgin Islands: it is a small public school with dual historical roots, where admission is almost never the obstacle, where the net price for the lowest-income families is among the lowest in its comparison group, and where, according to the official figures, completing the program within the expected timeframe happens to a minority, not a majority.
None of this tells you whether it is the right school for your child. That depends on three things this article cannot know: what your child wants to study and what your child has built, how far from home your child is willing to live, and what your family can afford without compromising what comes afterward. Put this information together with those other two considerations. A plan comes from that combination, not from a single number.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and reports that University of the Virgin Islands submits to the United States Department of Education, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent University of the Virgin Islands or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help you incorporate them into your own research.