Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia · Also known as CNU · Website
$60,509
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$60,509
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Christopher Newport University is a public 4-year college in Newport News, Virginia with 4,365 undergraduates and 85 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $23,015 a year (tuition and fees $16,828 in-state, $31,178 out-of-state). It admits 86% of applicants and 72% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $60,509 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $25,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$23,015
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$16,828
Out-of-state $31,178
Admission rate
86%
US median 78%
Completion rate
72%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$25,000
About $265 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$60,509
Rank 771 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $23,015
- Tuition in-state
- $16,828
- Tuition out-of-state
- $31,178
- Cost of attendance
- $33,766
- Students with a need-based grant
- 16%
- Students with federal loans
- 37%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $12,461
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $12,752
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $14,163
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $22,776
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $30,584
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $12,526 in 2015-16 to $16,828 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 86%
- Average SAT
- 1,180
- SAT reading, middle
- 620
- SAT math, middle
- 595
- ACT, middle
- 27
- Undergraduates
- 4,365
- Graduate students
- 85
- Part-time students
- 1.7%
- Women
- 52%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 72%
- Retention rate
- 81%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 26
- Endowment
- $54.0M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 771 of 5,094 US colleges and 22 of 127 in Virginia (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | VA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $23,015 | $19,081 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $16,828 | $16,364 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 86% | 80% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 72% | 52% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 81% | 73% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $25,000 | $20,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $51,931 | $36,582 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $60,509 | $42,837 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 76% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 81% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
26 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 182 | $23,250 | $54,432 | $81,840 | $68,257 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 152 | $23,250 | $35,028 | $53,600 | $50,706 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 132 | $26,000 | $30,287 | $55,657 | $57,214 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 81 | $23,250 | $36,953 | $57,254 | $56,359 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 61 | $22,750 | $43,508 | $65,241 | $63,293 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 60 | $21,750 | $72,128 | $101,900 | $107,009 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 56 | $20,500 | $54,123 | $56,921 | $59,916 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 52 | $23,248 | $35,953 | $62,828 | $55,693 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 48 | $25,000 | $36,977 | $55,057 | $52,657 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 44 | $26,000 | $29,386 | $52,458 | $50,680 |
| Visual and Performing Arts, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 40 | $25,000 | $23,656 | $42,907 | $41,688 |
| Information Science/StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 39 | $25,000 | $58,550 | $88,842 | $85,294 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 38 | $26,573 | $29,310 | $55,379 | $48,590 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $26,500 | $39,245 | $66,171 | $65,120 |
| MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $69,562 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $100,647 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | $22,750 | $45,309 | $75,365 | $82,686 |
| PhilosophyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,455 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 17 | $24,912 | Withheld | $48,212 | $51,790 |
| Computer EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $109,015 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesMaster's | Master's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchMaster's | Master's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $74,607 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | $53,564 | $49,984 |
| MusicBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | $63,852 | $42,892 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Virginia on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Virginia
- Homes: Homes for sale in Virginia
Questions and answers
How much does Christopher Newport University cost?
$23,015 a year is the average net price at Christopher Newport University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $16,828 for in-state students and $31,178 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $33,766. Families earning under $30,000 pay $12,461 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Christopher Newport University?
86% of applicants are admitted to Christopher Newport University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,180 and the middle ACT score is 27. The median admission rate of colleges in Virginia is 80%.
How much do Christopher Newport University graduates earn?
$60,509 a year is the median pay of former Christopher Newport University students who work, 10 years after they started ($51,931 after 6 years). That ranks 771 of 5,094 US colleges and 22 of 127 in Virginia. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Computer Science (Bachelor's) at $72,128.
How much student debt do Christopher Newport University graduates have?
$25,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Christopher Newport University graduates, about $265 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 37% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Christopher Newport University?
72% of first-time, full-time students at Christopher Newport University finish within 6 years. 81% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Christopher Newport University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (182 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (152 bachelor's graduates), Biology, General (132 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 26 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.