| Location: | Mid-Atlantic |
| Setting: | Small Town Setting |
| Type: | Private |
| Size: | Small (Under 2,000 Undergrad) |
Southern Virginia University (SVU) is a liberal arts college located in Buena Vista, Virginia that promotes standards and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) while not being owned nor operated by the Church. Founded as Southern Seminary in 1867, it is now a private, 4-year coeducational institution.
Due to SVU's promotion of LDS standards and ideals, 96% of students are Church members. The University is accredited by the American Academy for Liberal Education, and the campus consists of more than .
The school was founded as a for-profit institution in 1867 as the Home School for Girls by Alice Scott Chandler. In 1900 the school was moved to Buena Vista and renamed Southern Seminary. In 1922 the school became a junior college and was renamed Southern Seminary and Junior College. In 1959 it became a non-profit college under the control of trustees. In 1961 the school ended its high school program and became Southern Seminary Junior College.
The financial health of the college began to decline in the 1980s, and by 1996 the school was at the point of closing. Late name changes were to Southern Virginia College for Women in 1993 and simply Southern Virginia College when the school began accepting male students in 1994.
In 1996, Southern Virginia College's board of trustees transferred the school's assets and liabilities to a new board, most of whom were members of LDS Church. They reorganized the school to put forth standards, values, and beliefs of the LDS Church. In 2000 the school regained its accreditation and was renamed Southern Virginia University.
Southern Virginia University offers thirteen different majors: Art, Biology, Business Management and Leadership, Computer Science, English, Family and Child Development, History, Liberal Arts, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Spanish, and Theatre.
Incoming students have averaged a 3.2 high school GPA with ACT and SAT test scores averaging about 23 and 1050, respectively.
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| Percent of Students International: | 2% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 74% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Member of: | NAA, NAIA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Independent Mid-South Region) Basketball (Independent Mid-South Region) Baseball (Independent Mid-South Region) Track (Independent Mid-South Region) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 15,350 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 5,591 | 59% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 1,969 | 16% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 4,830 | 91% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 1,066 | 55% | |
Any Aid: |
96% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 41% (Highly Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 57% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 480, Math: 450 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 600, Math: 580 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 58% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 20, Verbal: 19, Math: 18 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 25, Verbal: 27, Math: 25 |
| Application Fee: | $ 35.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Recommended |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Recommended |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Recommended |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Not Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
