Christopher Newport University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Newport News, Virginia. It enrolls 4,365 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
66/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes73
Value47
Affordability23
Selectivity47
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Christopher Newport University admits 86% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
86%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1060 – 1290
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
25 – 30
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Christopher Newport University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
16.1 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $23,015 a year on average, it sits in line with what public colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$16,828
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$31,178
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,460
Room & Board (off-campus)
$14,232
Books & Supplies
$1,564
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,420
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,150
Total Cost of Attendance
$33,766
Application fee: $65 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $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
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$9,50025%percentile
$25,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$30,82090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $21,500
↓ $3,500
No Pell $19,500
↓ $5,500
Dependent students $19,500
↓ $5,500
Independent students $23,000
↓ $2,000
Female students $21,302
↓ $3,698
Male students $19,000
↓ $6,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,500, less than completers ($25,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
74% of students who start here finish within six years, and 82% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
74%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
82%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $60,509 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$60,509
Earning > $25K
86%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$46,300
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$58,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$45,800
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$47,900
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$54,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,800, about 20% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
9.1 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 90% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 4,365 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
4,365
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
18%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 68.0%2,968
Hispanic 9.2%400
Black 9.2%400
Other 6.2%270
Asian 4.1%177
International 0.4%16
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Christopher Newport University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Christopher Newport University offers
a varied set of programs:
26 distinct programs across
18 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$12,143
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$49M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$95,468
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
277 instructional faculty across 5 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
60
22%
$122,029
Associate Professors
99
36%
$95,040
Assistant Professors
59
21%
$86,315
Instructors
14
5%
$83,092
Lecturers
45
16%
$76,849
Pros & Cons of Christopher Newport University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Christopher Newport University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, Christopher Newport University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Christopher Newport University
The questions families ask most about Christopher Newport University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Christopher Newport University hard to get into?
Not especially. Christopher Newport University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 86%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Christopher Newport University?
86% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Christopher Newport University?
Aim for 1290 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1060 and 1290 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Christopher Newport University?
Aim for 30 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 25 and 30 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Christopher Newport University cost?
Budget around $23,015 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Christopher Newport University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $60,509 a year against a net price of $23,015, about 2.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Christopher Newport University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Psychology, Biology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Christopher Newport University graduates earn?
About $60,509 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Christopher Newport University accredited?
Yes. Christopher Newport University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Christopher Newport University?
4,365 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Christopher Newport University?
74% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Christopher Newport University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Christopher Newport University located?
Christopher Newport University is located in Newport News, Virginia.
What programs does Christopher Newport University offer?
26 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Psychology, Biology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Christopher Newport University?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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