Safety Score
10.60 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Petersburg, VA · Clery Act 2023 · Public
Virginia State University
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 5,190-student campus.
- 10.60
- Incidents / 1k students
- #2,907
- Rank of 3,050
- #71
- VA rank
- 5,190
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
Virginia State University reports 10.60 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #2,907 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 97% of ranked campuses its size.
- 10.60
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #2,907
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 97%
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 26
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
Virginia State University decreased from 34 to 26 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesVirginia State University is a Public institution located in Petersburg, VA, enrolling approximately 5,190 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 67 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within VA, it ranks #71 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 5,190 enrolled students, this campus sits in the mid-sized institution bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at Virginia State University is "Aggravated Assault" with 19 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in VA averaging 1.23 incidents per 1,000 students, Virginia State University reports 759% more incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 0 total fires. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 9 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.
Virginia State University's safety score of 10.60 incidents per 1,000 students places it in the bottom 4.7% of the 3,050 institutions this survey ranks nationally, meaning the reported incident rate here is higher than at nearly all peer institutions in the dataset. As our methodology explains, a higher reported rate can reflect a more active reporting culture rather than a more dangerous campus, and does not by itself indicate the actual likelihood of experiencing a crime.
National Rank
#2907
See peer comparison
State Rank (VA)
#71
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
26
across 11 crime categories
Where Virginia State University sits among ranked U.S. campuses
On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students
11 safer than 3% of 1,807 ranked campuses
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023
Safety percentile vs. peers
Virginia State University percentile rank 4.7%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #2907 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
Virginia State University reports 759% more incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $10,043
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $22,650
- Avg Net Price
- $15,840
- Median Debt
- $26,500
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 72%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 89%
- SAT Average
- 948
- SAT Math Range
- 400–520
- ACT Average
- 18
- ACT Range
- 14–20
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 40%
- Retention Rate
- 69%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $33,630
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $45,543
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 38%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyVirginia State University: on-campus incidents by year
Rising 271% (7 → 26 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 7 | 11 | 1 |
| Arson | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Burglary | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| Fondling | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 1 | 8 | 2 |
| Robbery | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
9 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 4 | 65 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 5 | 27 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 7 | 3 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 7 | 69 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 2 | 12 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 7 | 1 |
| Drugs | 2021 | 0 | 48 |
| Liquor | 2021 | 0 | 11 |
| Weapons | 2021 | 1 | 0 |
Virginia State University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
VA
Virginia State University
10.60 incidents / 1,000 students
AL
Auburn University at Montgomery
3.66 incidents / 1,000 students
CA
Unitek College
0.39 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
Auburn University at Montgomery
Montgomery, AL · 5,189 enrolled
Safety Score 3.66
Unitek College
Fremont, CA · 5,191 enrolled
Safety Score 0.39
North Hennepin Community College
Brooklyn Park, MN · 5,195 enrolled
Safety Score 1.35
Aspen University
Phoenix, AZ · 5,195 enrolled
Safety Score 0.00
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, PA · 5,184 enrolled
Safety Score 0.77
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest Virginia State University nationally (rank #2907), regardless of size or state.
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL
National Rank #2906
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
National Rank #2908
Presbyterian College
Clinton, SC
National Rank #2905
The College of Wooster
Wooster, OH
National Rank #2909
The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Cincinnati, OH
National Rank #2904
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Virginia State University safe?
Virginia State University has a safety score of 10.60 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #2,907 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at Virginia State University?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does Virginia State University compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in VA.
Does Virginia State University have fire safety data?
Yes. Virginia State University reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. No fires were reported in the most recent year.
Understanding Virginia State University's Safety Profile
Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA enrolls 5,190 students and has a safety score of 10.60 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #2907 nationally. This higher score indicates more reported incidents relative to enrollment, though context matters, urban campuses and larger institutions may have different reporting dynamics.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents decreased from 34 in 2022 to 26 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. No fires were reported in the most recent year, indicating effective fire prevention measures.
What this means for you
Virginia State University's 10.60 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh Virginia State University against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.