VSU vs. Bluefield State College

Should I go to Virginia State University or Bluefield State College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if VSU or Bluefield State College is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Virginia State University vs. Bluefield State College comparison
Virginia State University Bluefield State College College 3 College 4
Virginia State University
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Overview

VSU Bluefield State College
Location Petersburg, VA Bluefield, WV
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 4,648 1,306
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #980 #986
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website vsu.edu bluefieldstate.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

VSU Bluefield State College
Tuition (In State) $5,540 $8,840
Tuition (Out of State) $16,542 $16,030
Room & Board $11,544 $10,200
Avg Net Price $15,773 $11,759
Avg Grant Aid $11,498 $10,160
% Receiving Grant Aid 92% 96%

Admission

VSU Bluefield State College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,230 813
Admitted 7,384 790
Acceptance Rate 89.7% 97.2%
Enrolled % 18.7% 33.4%
Avg High School GPA 2.85 3.41
Typical High School Grades B- B+
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 14/17 17/22
SAT Range 830/1030 870/1080
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline May 1, 2025 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

VSU Bluefield State College
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • General Studies (7%)
  • Health Professions (29%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (16%)
  • Engineering Technology (16%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Education (9%)

Outcomes

VSU Bluefield State College
Graduation Rate 40% 22%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $36,700 $31,800
Making Student Loan Payments 28% 30%
Median Student Loan Debt $29,500 $19,000
Median Loan Payment $305 $196

Diversity

VSU Bluefield State College
% Men 40% 40%
% Women 60% 60%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very Low
HBCU Yes Yes
% White 3% 85%
% Black 87% 9%
% Hispanic 2% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 1%
% International 0% 2%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

VSU Bluefield State College
% In-State 72% 54%
% Out-of-State 27% 46%

Campus

VSU Bluefield State College
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Virginia State University is larger than than Bluefield State College based on total student enrollment (4,648 students vs. 1,306 students)

VSU vs. Bluefield State College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, VSU or Bluefield State College?

  • Bluefield State College is 59.6% more expensive to attend than VSU for in-state tuition ($8,840.00 vs. $5,540.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 3.2% higher at VSU than Bluefield State College ($16,542.00 vs. $16,030.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Bluefield State College than VSU ($11,759 vs. $15,773)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Bluefield State College are 13.2% lower than costs at Virginia State University ($10,200 vs. $11,544)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Bluefield State College than Virginia State University (96% vs. 92%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Virginia State University students is 13.2% larger than aid received Bluefield State College ($11,498 vs. $10,160)

VSU vs. Bluefield State College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, VSU or Bluefield State College? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Bluefield State College or VSU .

  • The average SAT score at Bluefield State College (934) is 77 points higher than at VSU (857)
  • Incoming Bluefield State College students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (20) than students at VSU (18)
  • Accepted freshman Bluefield State College students have a 0.56 point higher average high school GPA (3.41) than students at VSU (2.85)
  • Bluefield State College has a higher acceptance rate (97.2%) than VSU (89.7%)

VSU vs. Bluefield State College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, VSU or Bluefield State College? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Bluefield State College and VSU.

  • The graduation rate at VSU is higher than Bluefield State College (40% vs. 22%)
  • Graduates from Virginia State University earn on average $4,900 more per year than Bluefield State College graduates after ten years. ($36,700 vs. $31,800)
  • Bluefield State College students graduate with a $10,500 lower median federal student loan debt than VSU graduates. ($19,000 vs. $29,500)
  • Bluefield State College graduates are paying $109 less per month on federal student loans than VSU graduates. ($196 vs. $305)
  • More Bluefield State College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former VSU students, three years after graduation. (30% vs. 28%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/