Virginia Union University Achieves Highest Enrollment in Five Years

Highest Retention in University History!

(Richmond, VA)- Virginia Union University announces an overall enrollment increase for the third consecutive year with a total enrollment of 1,652 students. This is the highest enrollment for the university since 2015, with a 4% increase over the Fall 2020 enrollment. VUU is also celebrating the highest overall retention of students and the largest Graduate enrollment in the university's history.

A student studying.

"VUU is strategically focused on developing students who will create jobs as entrepreneurs or become corporate leaders in careers available today and those that will be created in the future," said Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, President and CEO of Virginia Union University. "I celebrate our enrollment success as we continue our pursuit of creating academic excellence and becoming a Best-in-Class university." As part of our September Flash Report, VUU welcomed 577 new undergraduate and graduate students in Fall 2021, including a 12% increase in graduate student enrollment over last fall. The university experienced a 10% increase in overall retention of students, with 76% of graduating seniors returning and 70% of the first-time freshmen returning from fall 2020 to fall 2021. VUU offers seven academic terms as part of the fall semester. The team looks forward to reporting its final enrollment numbers after students are registered for terms 6 and 7. "The Board of Trustees is extremely excited about the vibrancy of VUU's enrollment, especially during a double pandemic of COVID and social justice," said Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Chairman of VUU's Board of Trustees. "80% of our 2021 graduates were admitted to graduate school or received a job offer, and we are aiming to grow that number and lead our graduates to greater financial prosperity."

Virginia Union University is recognized as a Top 50 HBCU by U.S. News and World Report. The university offers 33 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including a new School of Latin American and Caribbean Studies/Universidad. In 2020, the university launched the Center for the Study of HBCUs, the first of its kind in the nation.

About Virginia Union University Virginia Union University is a premier liberal arts urban institution of higher education and center of excellence for the preparation of students and the development of leaders for tomorrow's world. It was founded in 1865 to give newly emancipated slaves an opportunity for education and advancement. Virginia Union University offers a broad range of educational opportunities that advance liberal arts education, teaching, research, science, technology, continuing education, civic engagement, and international experiences. Visit https://www.vuu.edu/