I am not going to tell you whether it is the right school for your child. No one knows that yet, not even you. But by the time you finish reading this, you will understand what kind of institution it is, what it could cost you, how difficult it is to get in, what happens to those who enroll, and—this is the important part—you will know exactly what questions to ask before your family makes a decision worth thousands of dollars.
What kind of school it is, in terms that actually matter
Virginia Wesleyan University is a private, nonprofit, four-year college focused on the arts and sciences. The Carnegie system, which classifies the nation's colleges by what they do, describes it as a small, highly residential school: at least half of its undergraduate students lived in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. That does not mean your child has to live there—it means the school's culture is built around students who do.
The highest level it reports offering is the master's degree, not the doctorate. Above all, it is an undergraduate institution: of the 1,711 students enrolled in the official fall count, 1,626 are undergraduates and only 85 are graduate students. If your child is looking for a university focused on preparing people for careers—not a doctoral research center—this is that kind of place.
Virginia Wesleyan University has none of three special designations: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this national directory, 138 have at least one of the three. Virginia Wesleyan's absence from that list tells you nothing about which communities it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers exist today, which student organizations are active, and—most usefully—whether your child can speak with someone who already attends.
Where it is, exactly. The school is in Virginia Beach, Virginia, within the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metropolitan area, in a city with a population of 250,000 or more. That does not tell you whether the campus is close to downtown or how easy it is to get around. If your child were considering living at home, the only way to know for sure is to drive the route on a weekday at the exact time of the classes. A map almost never tells the truth about traffic.
The size of the community and who makes it up
With 1,711 enrolled students, Virginia Wesleyan is a medium-sized school—neither one of the largest nor one of the smallest when compared with 941 similar selective private schools. It is the most common size in its category.
Of every 100 undergraduate students, 56 are women. Students ages 25 to 64 are few: only 9 out of every 100. It is mostly a school of young, full-time students who recently graduated from high school.
And here is a figure worth facing directly, without embellishment: among the undergraduate students reported in fall 2023, 8 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. That is a small minority, and it falls below the midpoint among the 941 comparable selective private schools. It is also worth noting that more than 20 out of every 100 students were recorded as having unknown race or ethnicity, so that 8 does not fully account for the actual total.
Having few Latino students does not make the school bad, and having many would not make it good. It is simply a fact about who is enrolled today. If your child will be one of the few, the right question is not “should my child attend?” but “what is available there so my child does not feel alone?”: a student group, a cultural center, someone in the admissions office who speaks Spanish. You find that out by asking, not by guessing from a percentage.
How the academic year is structured
Virginia Wesleyan operates on a 4-1-4 calendar: four courses during four months, one month with a single intensive course, and another four courses over the following four months. It is a different pace from a traditional semester, and your child should understand what studying that way feels like before making a commitment.
The school stated that it accepts credit for AP exams as well as what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—independent study, adult courses, work experience, portfolios, licenses, prior certifications, or military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is the hard truth behind that: the fact that the school states that it accepts AP does not mean it will award credit for every exam your child takes. The report does not say what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits apply to the specific major your child is considering. Ask for a written equivalency evaluation before enrolling. Do not calculate the savings until you have it in hand.
In the reported year, the school awarded 253 bachelor's degrees across 22 different academic families, with no single family accounting for more than 30 out of every 100 degrees—the largest, business and management, accounted for only 16 out of every 100. Compared with 942 similar schools, Virginia Wesleyan falls within the quarter with the most academic families represented in its offerings. Its offerings are broad, not concentrated in two or three flagship majors. But be careful: 22 families with at least one row in the report do not mean 22 active majors or guarantee that each has students. Verify the exact program your child is considering, by its full name.
The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 13 to 1. That is generally a low figure, but compared with similar schools it is above the median—neither the lowest nor the highest in its group. And an important clarification: this ratio does not tell you the actual size of a classroom. It is an institutional calculation, not a promise about how many students will be sitting beside your child.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research outside the classroom, a full program that can be completed entirely in the evening or on weekends, and preparation for teacher certification. Their reported status confirms that they exist as stated options; it does not confirm availability, cost, or whether they fit what your child wants to study.
What admission is like
Virginia Wesleyan does not have open admission. It reviews certain requirements before saying yes: the high school record, grade point average, and completion of the college-preparatory course plan the university requires. Those are mandatory. Then there is a long list of items that are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, the essay, letters of recommendation, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, the English-language exam when applicable, and whether a family member attended the school.
On that last point, I want to be direct with you: if no one in your family attended Virginia Wesleyan, do not spend energy worrying about it. Spend it on what is within your child's control: grades, the essay, and letters.
The published application fee is $0. That removes a common barrier.
Now, the numbers from the most recent cycle: of 2,651 first-year applicants, 1,890 were offered admission. That is 71 out of every 100—seven or eight out of ten. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, that is a common, middle-of-the-pack rate. It is not a school that rejects nearly everyone, but admission is not guaranteed either. Your child has reason to apply and also reason not to leave it until the last day. And remember: that 71 is from a single cycle, not a fixed rule. When it is your child's turn, check the figure for the applicable year.
Here is a figure that often surprises families: out of every 100 admitted students, only 20 ultimately enrolled. The other 80 had a place there and did not take it. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person made that decision. What it does tell you is this: receiving an admission letter is not the same as deciding to attend, and what others decided does not tell you what the school will offer your child. Wait for the financial aid letter. The decision about whether the school stays on the list should be made with the actual net price in hand.
The SAT and ACT are not required. Among enrolled students, only 6 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores—such a small sample (21 students) that the reported ranges (560-670 in reading and writing, 580-680 in mathematics) should not be treated as a threshold or a guarantee. If your child does not submit scores, the application is still complete.
About transferring: here is something worth knowing directly. Out of every 100 students who entered in 2017 as full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students, 36 transferred to another school without finishing here. The total was 154. Compared with 542 similar schools, that proportion is on the high side: seven out of ten of those schools saw a smaller share leave. Each person's reason varies, and the report does not capture it. But there is something important to keep in mind: a student who transfers is not counted as a graduate of this school, even if that student finishes at another. Remember that when you compare graduation rates later.
The sticker price and what people actually pay
At Virginia Wesleyan University, among 43 first-time, full-time credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $18,365. Among 37 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $18,364; among 54 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $25,187. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (43 students) and that of the highest-income band (54 students) is $6,822. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship, the average was $21,862.
$18,365 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in academic year 2022-23. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether it is worth requesting the aid letter.
None of these figures is a price quote for your child. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average 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. The figure that matters is the aid letter you receive. In the meantime, run the net price calculator on the school's website.
Where the money to pay comes from
96 out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Virginia Wesleyan received a grant or scholarship that does not have to be repaid. Here, receiving aid is the norm, not the exception. Among those who received it, the annual average was $27,361. Be careful: an average is not a guarantee. That figure includes students who received much more and others who received much less.
The Pell Grant—federal aid for low-income families—reached 34 out of every 100 students.
As for loans, here is the figure to face without blinking: 48 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal loan in academic year 2022–23. Almost half. Among those who borrowed, the average was $6,576 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the four years in the program, the total would be around $26,304, before interest and excluding Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, as well as bank debt and credit cards. That calculation should be made before the first signature, not afterward.
The institution also reports a tuition installment payment plan as a formal mechanism for managing the cost throughout the year.
None of this—not the average grant or scholarship amount, nor the percentage with loans—is your personal offer. What decides the matter, once again, is the aid letter your child receives, and specifically how much your family would have to pay out of pocket after everything else.
Campus life, learning formats, and available support
Virginia Wesleyan does have institution-owned housing, and it does not require all first-time students to live there—that rules out a universal requirement; it does not say that no program has one. It also offers meal plans with a fixed number of meals per week in its largest plan. Its reported maximum housing capacity is 856 students. The existence of rooms does not guarantee that a bed will be available when your child needs one: ask in writing for the current year's rate, the application deadline, and whether housing is guaranteed or there is a waiting list.
There is an ROTC opportunity, specifically for the Army branch; Navy and Air Force are not marked in the report. Not confirmed does not mean impossible—it means you need to ask directly if your child is interested in another branch.
The school competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA. It reports membership for basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If athletics are part of your child's plan, institutional membership says nothing about whether there is a place on the team or whether that particular sport offers a scholarship. Ask the coach directly, in writing.
It offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although it is a minority mode: only 9 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their courses at a distance; the rest took at least one course in person. It also reported having at least one complete program available at a distance, although the report does not indicate whether that specific program is undergraduate.
The library has employed staff, and its annual spending exceeded the threshold of $100,000 tracked by the federal government, a sign that it operates with tangible resources: a physical collection, digital access, and interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that it has the specific databases for your child's major—ask using the major's name.
The institution also reports combined academic and career counseling services, employment assistance for current students, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, a student veterans' organization, and a published web address for disability services.
How many stay and how many finish
Here we reach the part that carries the most weight, and I want to tell you plainly.
Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022 to pursue a bachelor's degree full time, 67 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. Compared with 930 similar selective private schools, that figure falls in the lower part of the group: seven out of ten of those schools retained a larger share of their cohort. The report does not separate those who transferred from those who paused or left college entirely, so not appearing as “retained” does not mean someone gave up.
As for graduation: of the 422 first-time, full-time students who entered in 2017, 207 had earned a degree from this school six years later. That is 49 out of every 100—almost half and half. At four years, the figure is 43 out of every 100, only 6 points lower than at six years. Compared with 920 similar schools, it falls below the midpoint of the group.
I want to be clear about what this figure means and what it does not. At the six-year mark, nearly half of that cohort had a bachelor's degree from Virginia Wesleyan, and the other half did not. The report counts outcomes; it does not explain the reasons in each case—and remember what we saw earlier: someone who transfers to another school and graduates there is not counted as a graduate here, even after successfully completing a degree.
There is a third measure, at eight years, that covers a broader cohort—it includes full-time and part-time students, first-time students, and those with prior college experience. Of those 493 students, 49 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the August 2023 reporting date. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was virtually the same: 50 out of every 100. Compared with 935 similar schools, it falls in the bottom quarter of the group.
This is the hard truth of this section, stated directly: at Virginia Wesleyan, by the eight-year mark, whether a student finishes with a credential from this specific institution is almost a coin toss. That does not tell you what will happen to your child. It happened to half of an entire cohort under circumstances the report does not explain. But before deciding, this is exactly the question worth asking the school: what specific supports exist to help a student finish, and how long it actually takes to complete the major your child is considering.
What you already know and what remains yours to discover
Now you know one real part of Virginia Wesleyan University: its size, its community, how people get in, what the sticker price is, what a family like yours ultimately pays, how many stay, and how many finish. These are official data, not brochure promises.
But this part—as carefully as it is designed to be honest—is only part of the map. Your child has another part: what your child wants to study, how far away your child is willing to live, and how much this school matters compared with others. And you have the third part: what your family can truly afford and how willing it is to take on a loan or a conditional scholarship.
If your child is just beginning to build a list, this information helps your child ask specific questions: which majors actually exist, whether the school will accept those AP credits, and how much it costs to live on campus this year. If your child is close to deciding, there is just one most urgent question: ask for the financial aid letter before committing to any deposit, and compare the final figure—not the sticker price, not the average grant or scholarship—against the other schools on the list.
No figure in this article makes the decision for you. But now, when that letter arrives with a number at the bottom, you will know exactly what you are looking at.
Source note: the information in this article comes from official data reported by Virginia Wesleyan University to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), corresponding primarily to the 2022–23 and 2023–24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Virginia Wesleyan University or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public information.