A college's ethnic diversity is indicated by the student body's equal inclusion of students from different backgrounds . Students at SVU are mostly White with a small Multiracial population. The school has low racial diversity. 20% percent of students are minorities or people of color (BIPOC). The ethnic breakdown is detailed in the following table.
| Race | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| White |
80%
|
| Black |
4%
|
| Hispanic |
4%
|
| Asian |
1%
|
| American Indian / Alaskan |
1%
|
| Hawaiian / Pacific Islander |
1%
|
| Two or more races |
7%
|
| International |
2%
|
| Race Unknown |
1%
|
There are 11% more male students than female students enrolled at Southern Virginia University with a gender ratio of 53% men to 47% women. Compared to the US average of 56% female students, SVU has a higher gender diversity than other US colleges and is very inclusive of both genders.
| Gender | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| Men |
53%
|
| Women |
47%
|
| Gender | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Men |
554
|
| Women |
499
|
SVU serves a high number of out-of-state students with 87% of the student body residing outside of Virginia or from other countries.
| Origin | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| In State |
12%
|
| Out of State |
73%
|
| Foreign |
0%
|
| Unknown Location |
14%
|
36% of students can be considered low-income as indicated by their receipt of Federal Pell Grant Aid.
| Segment | Percent of Students |
|---|---|
| Students Over 25 Years Old | 11.5% |
| Part time Undergrads | 2.2% |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=233611 IPEDS survey data for Southern Virginia University.