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Christopher Newport University: 20180827 FirstDay 009 1-2
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Regional university

#3 Best colleges for social work in Virginia

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $23,015 a year

Median debt at graduation: $25,000 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

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Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In America

In Virginia

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Academic Excellence

A-Academic Excellence: A- (grade A-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Excellent · Top 18%
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.81%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,180 · ACT 27.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.13 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$12,950

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$12,461
$30,001–$48,000$12,752
$48,001–$75,000$14,163
$75,001–$110,000$22,776
Over $110,000$30,584

Full cost of attendance before aid: $33,766 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
4,407
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 48% · Women 52%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
18%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
6%
Total students4,503
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$23,015
Cost of attendance (per year)$33,766
Median federal debt at graduation$25,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
72%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
72%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
72%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
76%
First-year retention81%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$60,509
Admission rate86%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$65
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,512 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants16%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1060–1290ACT 25–30
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1180
SAT reading & writing550–660
SAT math510–630
ACT composite25–30
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Good (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Computer science$101,900
Information science$88,842
Business administration$81,840
Economics$75,365
Chemistry$66,171
Political science$65,241
Music$63,852
Interdisciplinary studies$62,828
Communication studies$57,254
Biology$55,657
English$55,379
Sociology$55,057
Psychology$53,600
Linguistics$53,564
History$52,458
Social work$48,212
Visual and performing arts$42,907

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Computer engineering, Electrical engineering, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Philosophy.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Psychology15%
Biology15%
Business14%
Social sciences14%
Communication10%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates2%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older1%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,460
SportsNCAA Division III · Capital Athletic Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member13 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 10%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time67%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$11,029IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 86% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceNewport News Williamsburg International Airport (PHF)About 5 miles away · about 15 minutes by car
Nearest major airportNorfolk International Airport (ORF)About 20 miles away
Town population184,216Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreChesapeakeAbout 29 miles away · about 1 hour 5 minutes by car
Typical weather40°F in January · 79°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Newport News International Airport, VA, about 5 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape1.120.07
Robbery0.220.01
Aggravated assault0.900.04
Burglary0.450.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Christopher Newport University’s Compass Score?
Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 28% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Christopher Newport University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $23,015 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Christopher Newport University?
Christopher Newport University admitted 86% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Christopher Newport University’s graduates do?
72% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $60,509; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,000.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 231712
  • Carnegie classification: Master's university (small programs)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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