Liberty University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Lynchburg, Virginia · Private nonprofit · Open access · CDS 2024-2025
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Liberty University is a private nonprofit university in Lynchburg, Virginia that admits about 99% of applicants, making it a open access school. The average family pays about $29,357 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Business Administration, Management and Operations, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other and Psychology, General, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 1.7 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
Liberty University is a private institution located in Lynchburg, Virginia. For the most recent reporting cycle, Liberty University admits the majority of qualified applicants, with an overall admission rate of 99%. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $29,357 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price.
What parents should know about Liberty University right now
Liberty University is effectively two institutions sharing a name, and the first thing a family needs to settle is which one they are considering. Residential enrollment in Lynchburg held steady at 16,151 students in Fall 2025, while the online programmes are on track to pass 131,000 by summer 2026, which makes Liberty one of the largest universities in the country by headcount and overwhelmingly a distance-education institution by volume. Cost is where the residential campus competes hardest. Full-time undergraduate tuition for 2026-27 is $12,695 per semester, $25,390 for the year, with an activity fee of $920 and a health fee of $340; on-campus housing runs about $8,640 and food about $6,210, putting a full residential year near $43,000 before aid. The university states it has raised tuition only twice in the last eight years, which is unusual among private residential universities and is why its sticker price has drifted downward relative to peers. Liberty is an evangelical Christian university with a doctrinal statement and a student conduct code, so fit is a values question before it is a financial one.
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.
SAT and ACT scores Liberty University typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
| 25th percentile | 1020 |
| 50th percentile | — |
| 75th percentile | 1250 |
| 25th percentile | 19 |
| 50th percentile | — |
| 75th percentile | 27 |
How much does Liberty University actually cost?
Published tuition is $22,465 for in-state students and $22,465 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $13,835 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $29,357 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 38% of students receive Pell Grants.
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 Business Administration, Management and Operations, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other and Psychology, General. Across all programs, Liberty University confers roughly 6,519 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Business Administration, Management and Operations program report a median income of about $62,875 five years after entering college. What these figures mean
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 1,603 | $62,875 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | 1,368 | $52,839 |
| Psychology, General | 1,211 | $40,678 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 662 | $49,603 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 604 | $58,274 |
| Air Transportation | 440 | $82,092 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 378 | $38,192 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 253 | $79,773 |
Is Liberty University safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), Liberty University disclosed 87 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 1.7 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 5 violent offenses and 58 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Why per-1,000 rates, not counts
Other colleges in Virginia parents ask about
- Longwood University90% acceptance
- Radford University90% acceptance
- University of Virginia-Main Campus17% acceptance
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University55% acceptance
- College of William and Mary34% acceptance
- James Madison University72% acceptance
- Old Dominion University90% acceptance
- George Mason University87% acceptance
Next steps for Liberty University
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?
Liberty University does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Scores are optional here, and a strong one can still help when the rest of the application is borderline.
How much does Liberty University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Liberty University after grants and scholarships is $29,357 per year, against a published in-state tuition of $22,465. Budget against the net figure.
Is Liberty University realistic for my child?
Liberty University admits 99% of applicants, so the transcript and course rigour carry the decision, with no published score band to place against. Then check the $29,357 average net price against what your family can carry.
What is the acceptance rate at Liberty University?
Liberty University accepts about 99% 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 Lynchburg, Virginia.
What are the most popular majors at Liberty University?
The largest undergraduate majors at Liberty University by annual graduates are Business Administration, Management and Operations, Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other and Psychology, General. The school awards about 6,519 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 87 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 1.7 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Sources: the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Liberty University, the College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act disclosures. What each source covers