Liberty University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Richmond, Virginia · Private nonprofit · Open access
Liberty University is a private nonprofit university in Richmond, Virginia that admits about 98% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $19,580 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Criminology, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods and Biology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 4.2 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Liberty University is a private institution located in Richmond, Virginia. For the most recent reporting cycle, Liberty University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 98%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 860 and an ACT composite around 16. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $19,580 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Liberty University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Liberty University?
Liberty University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores Liberty University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 360–500, with an EBRW midpoint near 421. Many applicants here submit scores; even slightly below the average can be competitive when combined with a strong GPA and curriculum.
How much does Liberty University actually cost?
Published tuition is $14,880 for in-state students and $14,880 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $9,552 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $19,580 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 51% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
Most popular majors at Liberty University
The most popular undergraduate programs at Liberty University, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Criminology, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods and Biology, General. Across all programs, Liberty University confers roughly 118 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Criminology program report a median income of about $48,498 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Criminology | 23 | $48,498 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 20 | — |
| Biology, General | 18 | $43,899 |
| Social Work | 16 | — |
| Psychology, General | 12 | $36,236 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 12 | $42,012 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 11 | $31,507 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 6 | $40,450 |
Is Liberty University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Liberty University disclosed 5 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 4.2 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 2 violent offenses and 1 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Virginia parents ask about
- University of Virginia-Main Campus17% acceptance
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University93% acceptance
- College of William and Mary89% acceptance
- James Madison University86% acceptance
- Old Dominion University82% acceptance
- George Mason University91% acceptance
- Virginia Commonwealth University17% acceptance
- Washington and Lee University90% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Liberty University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Liberty University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Liberty University
What GPA do I need for Liberty University?
Liberty University has a broadly accessible admissions profile, and most students who complete a standard college-prep curriculum with a 3.0 GPA or higher are competitive for admission.
What SAT or ACT score does Liberty University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 360–500, with an EBRW midpoint near 421.
How much does Liberty University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Liberty University after grants and scholarships is $19,580 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Liberty University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Liberty University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at Liberty University?
Liberty University accepts about 98% of applicants. It admits the majority of qualified applicants.
Is Liberty University a public or private school, and where is it located?
Liberty University is a private nonprofit institution located in Richmond, Virginia.
What are the most popular majors at Liberty University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Liberty University by annual graduates are Criminology, Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods and Biology, General. The school awards about 118 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is Liberty University safe? What is its campus crime rate?
Liberty University reported 5 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 4.2 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.