Which of Virginia’s Public Colleges and Universities are Friendliest to Local Students

Northern Virginians like to complain that the state college system is unfairly biased against residents of communities located in the state’s most densely populated areas.

In fact, the issue is high on the list of complaints state representatives hear during reelection campaigns, as parents are increasingly vocal about how difficult it has become for some of the area’s most talented students to be admitted to Virginia's highly-regarded public institutions.

As thousands of local students wait for admissions decisions due to be released shortly, it might be interesting to look at what the State says about northern Virginia’s representation at each of the Commonwealth’s 4-year public colleges and universities. The following is based on information provided to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCEV) and reflects student residency classification as determined and reported by each institution:

1. George Mason University: 84.7%


2. University of Mary Washington: 65.5%


3. College of William & Mary: 48.1%


4. University of Virginia: 45.6%


5. James Madison University: 43%


6. Christopher Newport University: 40.7%


7. Virginia Tech: 38.3%


8. Radford University: 31.7%


9. Virginia Military Institute: 30.6%


10. Virginia Commonwealth University: 27.3%


11. Longwood University: 23.8%


12. Old Dominion University: 16%


13. Virginia State University: 13.1%


14. University of Virginia at Wise: 11.3%


15. Norfolk State University: 7.4%