PETERSBURG, Va. - Virginia State University is reporting its largest year-to-year increase in retention and enrollment in more than a decade despite national trends of declining university enrollments.
In fall 2021, enrollment at VSU grew by 280 for a total of 4,300 students. This is an increase of nearly 7 percent over the fall 2020 semester.
VSU also reports a 76 percent retention rate. This is the highest retention rate at VSU in more than twenty years.
"When students decide to continue their education at Virginia State University, it is a testament to the idea that greater happens here,” said Dr. Donald E. Palm, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. "Retention is just one of the factors that we examine to evaluate how students are enjoying their experience and how well our faculty, staff, and administration are doing at ensuring our students’ academic success. While we appreciate this accomplishment, we will continue to be intentional in implementing more programs and strategies to ensure that our students enjoy a positive and transformative academic experience at VSU.”
According to US News and World Report, last spring, college attendance fell by more than 600,000 students across the country, the steepest drop in a decade. They also place VSU in the top 30 in the category of Best Overall HBCUs for 2022.
