Radford University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Radford, Virginia. It enrolls 6,038 students (a large 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
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes36
Value79
Affordability69
Selectivity21
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Radford University admits 89.5% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
89.5%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
940 – 1160
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
19 – 26
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 Radford University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
15.3 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 $14,578 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. 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)
$12,548
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$25,633
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,504
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,733
Books & Supplies
$1,260
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,836
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,400
Total Cost of Attendance
$28,405
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
$8,965
$30,001 – $48,000
$8,724
$48,001 – $75,000
$12,069
$75,001 – $110,000
$17,092
Over $110,000
$23,533
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.
$3,50010%percentile
$6,97925%percentile
$24,000Medianpercentile
$26,29675%percentile
$31,00090%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 $19,000
↓ $5,000
No Pell $15,000
↓ $9,000
Dependent students $17,000
↓ $7,000
Independent students $20,889
↓ $3,111
Female students $18,250
↓ $5,750
Male students $16,000
↓ $8,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($24,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
62% of students who start here finish within six years, and 74% 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
62%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
74%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $53,739 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$53,739
Earning > $25K
83%
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
$42,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$56,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$45,500
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$45,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$50,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $13,600, about 24% 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 ↑
15.9 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 89% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 6,038 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 31% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
6,038
Part-Time
9%
First-Generation
31%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 64.7%3,905
Black 13.7%824
Hispanic 10.7%644
Other 5.8%351
Asian 1.7%101
International 1.0%60
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Radford University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Radford University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
79 distinct programs across
20 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 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$18,141
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$67M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$85,355
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
433 instructional faculty across 4 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
135
31%
$100,329
Associate Professors
103
24%
$85,727
Assistant Professors
121
28%
$79,644
Instructors
74
17%
$66,855
Pros & Cons of Radford University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Radford University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Radford University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about Radford University
The questions families ask most about Radford University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Radford University hard to get into?
Not especially. Radford University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 89.5%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Radford University?
89.5% 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 Radford University?
Aim for 1160 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 940 and 1160 (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 Radford University?
Aim for 26 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 19 and 26 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Radford University cost?
Budget around $14,578 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 Radford University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $53,739 a year against a net price of $14,578, about 3.7 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 Radford University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. 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 Radford University graduates earn?
About $53,739 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 Radford University accredited?
Yes. Radford University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Radford University?
6,038 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Radford University?
62% 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 Radford University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Radford University located?
Radford University is located in Radford, Virginia.
What programs does Radford University offer?
79 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. 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 Radford University?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Virginia
Other colleges in Virginia share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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