College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.
Old Dominion University: ODU 1
Photo: Faithlessthewonderboy, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

National university

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $14,638 a year

Median debt at graduation: $24,000 (all students)

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

Campus tour

The College Tour: Full Episode · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good · Top 41%
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.46%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.77%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,197 · ACT 26.5
  • 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.$12,901

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$9,739
$30,001–$48,000$10,114
$48,001–$75,000$13,123
$75,001–$110,000$16,940
Over $110,000$23,567

Full cost of attendance before aid: $29,446 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)
17,736
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 46% · Women 54%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
33%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
7%
Total students22,541
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$14,638
Cost of attendance (per year)$29,446
Median federal debt at graduation$24,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
46%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
48%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
48%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
52%
First-year retention77%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$54,914
Admission rate90%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$50
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,512 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants37%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1100–1280ACT 24–29
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1197
SAT reading & writing570–650
SAT math530–630
ACT composite24–29
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Very good · Top 31% (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
Electrical engineering$96,427
Computing and information science$95,485
Computer engineering$94,542
Nursing$90,917
Mechanical engineering$87,772
Civil engineering$82,703
Other engineering/engineering-related technologies/technicians$81,077
Management information systems$74,465
Accounting$73,157
Managerial economics$71,406
Dental assisting$69,732
Clinical laboratory science$68,943
Finance$67,320
Mathematics$66,847
Other health professions and related clinical sciences$63,027
Marketing$61,550
Business administration$61,442
Political science$59,939
History$56,715
Criminology$56,659
Secondary education$56,564
Geology and earth science$56,255
Speech-language pathology$56,039
Interdisciplinary studies$55,889
Biology$55,304
International relations$54,505
Writing and rhetoric$54,390
Sociology$53,734
Kinesiology and exercise science$52,482
Music$52,028
Psychology$51,907
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$51,233
English$49,024
Geography$48,280
Counseling and mental health$47,604
Fine arts$46,308
Theatre$38,537

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Area studies, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Economics, Engineering (general), Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Ethnic and gender studies, Information technology, Linguistics, Philosophy, Physics, Public health, Special education, Teacher education.

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
Health professions16%
Business16%
Computer and information sciences10%
Psychology10%
Social sciences8%

Campus life

SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates23%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older25%
On-campus room and board (per year)$14,878
SportsNCAA Division I · Sun Belt Conference
ROTCArmy · Navy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member13 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 11%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time96%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$17,156IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 27% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceNorfolk International Airport (ORF)About 6 miles away · about 15 minutes by car
Town population233,596Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreChesapeakeAbout 14 miles away · about 35 minutes by car
Typical weather41°F in January · 80°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Norfolk South, VA, about 4 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Campus safety reports

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

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.130.07
Robbery0.030.01
Aggravated assault0.140.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.260.15

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 Old Dominion University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B). 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 Old Dominion University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $14,638 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 Old Dominion University?
Old Dominion University admitted 90% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Old Dominion University’s graduates do?
46% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $54,914; the median federal debt at graduation is $24,000.

Ask the school

Something you want to know that isn’t on this page? Ask it here. We send it to the school, and their answer appears on this page. Your name is never shared.

Sign in to ask a question

Reviews

Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.

No reviews yet.

Sign in to write a review.

My rating and notes

Sign in or create a free account to rate this school privately, keep notes, and save it to your list.

About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 232982
  • Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Report an error or a newer source
  • Respond as this school

Colleges like this one

The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.

More in Virginia · Virginia rankings

0 school selectedCompare

What would it cost your family?

Pick your family’s yearly income. Each college then shows what families like yours paid on average after grants and scholarships (federal data).

Reach, Target or Likely?

Enter an SAT or ACT to sort every college in this search.

Will you get in?

Enter your SAT or ACT. We compare it with the middle range of students the college admitted.