Check out why Virginia State University received an &#8220;F&#8221; grade in our Report Card below.
Virginia State University is a a public historically black land-grant university located in Ettrick, Virginia. The university has nine fraternities and sororities. In Petersburg, students can visit Petersburg National Battlefield, Pamplin Historical Park, or enjoy wine tasting from Resolution Winery. Members of the Virginia State University community are known as the Trojans.
Virginia State University offers 36 undergraduate degree programs and 16 graduate degree programs. Notable former students include rapper Tauheed Epps (2 Chainz), mathemetician Gladys West, and jazz musician Billy Taylor.

Virginia State University receives a “B” grade by <a href="https://www.whatwilltheylearn.com/schools/3146" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What Will They Learn?</a> which takes into account the university’s educational prowess. Factors include composition, literature, foreign language, U.S. government or history, economics, mathematics, and natural science.
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What Will They Learn? Academic Score 

Virginia State University receives a “D” grade for the Average Salary of Recent Graduates. As of 2021, alumni with 0-5 years of experience after graduating from Virginia State University with a bachelor’s degree make $49,600 on average according to <a href="https://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/bachelors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Payscale</a>.
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Average Salary of Recent Graduates 

Virginia State University receives a “D” grade for the Average Salary of Graduates Mid-Career. As of 2021, alumni with 10+ years of experience after graduating from the Virginia State University with a bachelor’s degree make $85,200 on average according to <a href="https://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report/bachelors">Payscale</a>.
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Average Salary of Graduates Mid-Career

Virginia State University receives an “F” grade for the Percent of Graduates with Debt (Federal and Private). In 2020, 90% of graduates accumulated student debt from federal and/or private sources according to <a href="https://ticas.org/interactive-map/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Institute for College Access &amp; Success</a>.
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Percent of Graduates with Debt (Federal and Private)

Virginia State University receives a &#8220;C+” grade for the Average Debt of Graduates (Federal and Private). In 2020, graduates accumulated $28,250 of debt on average from federal and/or private sources according to <a href="https://ticas.org/interactive-map/">The Institute for College Access &amp; Success</a>.
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Average Debt of Graduates (Federal and Private)

Virginia State University receives an “F” grade for Mandated Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Training for Staff. Employees are <a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://www.vsu.edu/files/docs/hr-forms/university-training.pdf">required</a> to complete a training course titled, &#8220;The Road to Cultural Competence.&#8221; The university&#8217;s <a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://www.vsu.edu/titleix/training.php">required</a> Title IX training includes &#8220;Gender Identity in the College Setting.&#8221; Additionally, the Commonwealth of Virginia <a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://www.dhrm.virginia.gov/docs/default-source/l-d/required-training-2022.docxb1b71c68-8e41-4aa8-b8d5-62724b4bbab7.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">requires</a> all state employees to complete a training titled &#8220;Diversity in the Workplace Overview.&#8221;
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Mandated Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Training for Staff

Virginia State University receives an “A” grade for not having a Bias Reporting System or a Bias Response Team. Bias Reporting Systems and Response Teams are systems or teams of faculty, staff, and sometimes law enforcement.
According to <a href="https://speechfirst.org/bias-reporting-systems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SpeechFirst</a>, students are “encouraged to report ‘bias incidents’ to these boards (or teams) in the name of inclusion and tolerance, but it’s often unclear what the school considers ‘bias’ in the first place. Overly broad or vague definitions of bias put all kinds of speech at risk of being reported – even unpopular speech which is protected by the First Amendment.”
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Bias Reporting System or Bias Response Team 

Virginia State University receives a “C” grade due to having no active Turning Point USA chapter. The university has not denied a Turning Point USA chapter on campus.
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Denied Turning Point USA Chapter

Virginia State University receives a “D” grade for In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants. DACA students are eligible for in-state tuition (see image below).
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-1059 size-large" src="https://cdn.deanslist.org/be/2023/11/02092506/Screen-Shot-2023-11-02-at-9.21.56-AM-1024x467.png" alt="" width="640" height="292" srcset="https://cdn.deanslist.org/be/2023/11/02092506/Screen-Shot-2023-11-02-at-9.21.56-AM-1024x467.png 1024w, https://cdn.deanslist.org/be/2023/11/02092506/Screen-Shot-2023-11-02-at-9.21.56-AM-300x137.png 300w, https://cdn.deanslist.org/be/2023/11/02092506/Screen-Shot-2023-11-02-at-9.21.56-AM-768x350.png 768w, https://cdn.deanslist.org/be/2023/11/02092506/Screen-Shot-2023-11-02-at-9.21.56-AM.png 1390w" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px" />
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In-State Tuition for Illegal Immigrants 

Virginia State University receives an &#8220;A&#8221; grade for Required Equity, Diversity, or Inclusion Courses for Students. While the <a href="https://www.vsu.edu/files/docs/sola/sociology-criminal-justice/general-education-requirements-list.pdf">university</a> requires courses within multiple course categories as part of its General Education program, none of the categories and listed courses appear to relate to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The university&#8217;s required course categories include History, Humanities, Global Studies, English, Literature, Wellness/Health, Mathematics, Social Science, and Science.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-84" src="https://cdn.deanslist.org/be/2022/12/06164434/a-e1671667004869.png" alt="" width="80" height="80" />

Required Equity, Diversity, or Inclusion Courses for Students

Virginia State University receives a “B” grade for Segregated Dormitories, Graduations, and Classes. The university has a <a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://www.campuspride.org/virginia-state-university-becomes-first-virginia-hbcu-to-host-lavender-graduation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lavender graduation</a>.
The university has no segregated classes or dormitories.
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Segregated Dormitories, Graduations, and Classes

Virginia State University receives an A” grade for Protests and Canceling Speakers. Since 2021, no instances of protests, speech cancelations, or violence/attempted violence against speakers have occurred.
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Protests and Canceling Speakers

Virginia State University receives a &#8220;C&#8221; grade for Mask and Vaccine Mandates. According to a September 5, 2023 <a class="waffle-rich-text-link" href="https://www.vsu.edu/healthservices/covid-19-dashboard.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">update</a>:
&#8220;COVID-19 and its new variants are still present, can be very contagious, and spread quickly. With a national uptick in COVID-19 cases, we encourage our Trojan Community to wear a mask in indoor crowded places such as classrooms &#8230;We firmly believe in the findings of medical and health professionals who advise that vaccination is the best and most effective life-saving measure against COVID-19. Therefore, we strongly encourage all students and employees to be fully vaccinated, including boosters.&#8221;
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Mask and Vaccine Mandates

Virginia State University receives a “D+” grade for the Percent of Students Graduating with STEM Degrees. According to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Center (<a href="https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/use-the-data">IPEDS</a>), as of 2020, 4.18% of the current undergraduate student population graduate with a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) degree. Across the United States, students who graduate with STEM degrees tend to earn more on average than their other student counterparts.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-96" src="https://cdn.deanslist.org/be/2022/12/11141032/d-plus-e1671666956734.png" alt="" width="80" height="80" />

Percent of Students Graduating with STEM Degrees

Virginia State University receives a “C-” grade for Crime Rates in University City or Town. According to the <a href="https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2018/crime-in-the-u.s.-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Bureau of Investigation</a>, the Petersburg, Virginia violent crime rate was 709.58 per 100,000 people in 2018, much higher than the 2018 national average of 709.58 per 100,000 people. While campus safety is of utmost importance, it is also pertinent to consider the crime rates of the surrounding town or city as students often tend to venture off campus, especially after their freshman year.
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Crime Rates in University City or Town

Virginia State University receives a “C” grade for Required Western Civilization Courses for Students. The following <a href="https://www.vsu.edu/files/docs/sola/sociology-criminal-justice/general-education-requirements-list.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">options</a> can be taken in the 3 credit hour History and Humanities categories.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">U.S. History I</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">U.S. History II</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">United States Government</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Classics of Western Literature</li>
</ul>
However, these classes can be bypassed for those unrelated to Western Civilization.
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Required Western Civilization Courses for Students

Check out why Virginia State University received an "F" grade in our Report Card below.

Virginia State University is a a public historically black land-grant university located in Ettrick, Virginia. The university has nine fraternities and sororities. In Petersburg, students can visit Petersburg National Battlefield, Pamplin Historical Park, or enjoy wine tasting from Resolution Winery. Members of the Virginia State University community are known as the Trojans.

Virginia State University offers 36 undergraduate degree programs and 16 graduate degree programs. Notable former students include rapper Tauheed Epps (2 Chainz), mathemetician Gladys West, and jazz musician Billy Taylor.

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