Norfolk State University
Norfolk State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Norfolk State University Featured Rankings
- #5 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Virginia
- #8 Virginia's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #10 Most Affordable Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #11 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #12 Virginia's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #12 Best Grad Schools in Virginia 2026
- #12 Best Public Colleges in Virginia
- #13 Most Influential HBCUs
- #13 Online Master’s in Healthcare Administration
- #14 HBCU Online Master's Programs
- #15 Best Online HBCUs
- #15 Online Bachelor's in Hospitality
- #17 Online Bachelor’s in History
- #18 Best Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #21 Online Bachelor's in Interdisciplinary Studies
- #23 Social Work Liberal Arts Colleges
About Norfolk State University
According to Wikipedia, Norfolk State University is a public historically black university in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Virginia High-Tech Partnership. History The institution was founded on September 18, 1935, as the Norfolk Unit of Virginia Union University. Eighty-five students attended the first classes held in 1935. Mr. Samuel Fischer Scott, an alumnus of Virginia Union and Portsmouth native, served as the first director with the primary focus of maintaining the solvency of the school. Dr. Lyman Beecher Brooks, a Virginia Union alumnus, succeeded Mr. Scott as director in 1938, and served as provost, 1963–1969, and the first president 1969–1975.
Norfolk State University's Online Degrees
BS in Business
Degree Concentrations
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Management
- Management Information Systems
- Marketing
- Management Information Systems
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
BS in Tourism And Hospitality Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MS in Cybersecurity
- Required Credits: 36
- Completion Time: 2-3 years
- Format: Fully online
MS in Cyberpsychology
- Required Credits: 42
- Completion Time: 2 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Interdisciplinary Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Format: Fully online
MHA in Healthcare Administration
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
BS in Health Services Management
- Completion Time: 120
- Format: Fully online
Norfolk State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10,211 | 88% | 73% | 35% | 926 | 19 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Norfolk State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $10,456 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $11,325 |
| 30K - 48K | $11,360 |
| 48K - 75K | $9,794 |
| 75K - 110K | $14,945 |
| 110K+ | $19,960 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Norfolk State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Norfolk State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $49,237 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Norfolk State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 6,560 | 5,916 | 644 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Norfolk State University?
Norfolk State University is located at 700 Park Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23504-8000.
How Safe is Norfolk State University?
Relative to its enrollment, Norfolk State University has a violent crime rate of 0.13% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Norfolk has a violent crime rate of 0.48% and a property crime rate of 3.80%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Norfolk State University Known For?
Norfolk State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Social Work
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Criminal Justice
- Mathematics
- Nursing
- Physics
- Communications
- History
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Business
- Education
- Political Science
- Literature
- Psychology
- Medical
- Biology
Norfolk State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Norfolk State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Norfolk State University ranks #279 in the U.S. and #684 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #416 in the U.S. and #1917 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #428 in the U.S. and #2597 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #438 in the U.S. and #823 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #453 in the U.S. and #1888 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #549 in the U.S. and #1451 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #606 in the U.S. and #2648 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #634 in the U.S. and #2377 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #638 in the U.S. and #1890 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #668 in the U.S. and #2277 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #682 in the U.S. and #3177 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #729 in the U.S. and #2785 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #753 in the U.S. and #3252 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #776 in the U.S. and #3364 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #803 in the U.S. and #2419 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #838 in the U.S. and #2189 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #843 in the U.S. and #2969 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesNorfolk State University ranks #985 in the U.S. and #4184 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWho Are Norfolk State University's Most Influential Alumni?
Norfolk State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Social Work, Criminal Justice, and Nursing. Here are some of Norfolk State University's most famous alumni:
- Nathan McCall
- An American journalist.
- Randall Robinson
- An American lawyer.
- J. B. Smoove
- An American actor.
- Jedidah Isler
- An American astrophysicist and educator.
- Dionne Price
- An African-American statistician.
- Tim Reid
- An American actor and film director.
- Corey D. B. Walker
- A .
- Georgia M. Dunston
- An American geneticist.
- Gordon Banks
- An American musician.
- Michael Rochelle
- A U.S. Army Lieutenant General.
