About

See what students say:

Academics

“Midsized” and affordable Radford University is a “very student-oriented” public school in southwest Virginia that offers a pretty vast array of majors. Students call our attention to the business, nursing, education, and interior design programs in particular. “The professors here would have to be Radford’s greatest strength,” says a communication major. Many faculty members are “very personable, affable, and helpful.” They “want to teach.” “They’re easy to get in touch with and easy to talk to and ask questions,” adds a sociology major. Also, “classes are smaller, which makes it easier to get one on one attention.” However, “general education classes can be excruciating” and the faculty is not great across the board. “When they’re just reading from PowerPoint presentations, it sucks,” says a psychology major. “And that happens too often.” Registration is “terrible” but Radford reportedly has “great people making the decisions.” “Overall, the administration is generally pretty helpful and usually very accessible.”

Student Body

Radford is home to “lots of Virginians” and “a lot of females” but “not many minorities.” “There are students who dress somewhat different from the norm” and a few “hippie kids” but this is a “very preppy” campus and most students are “your typical college kids.” “I’d like to think there are more atypical people but they are few and far between,” admits a senior. Students describe themselves as “usually pretty friendly” and “fun to hang around.” Some students take academics very seriously. Others are “not serious about school” and simply “manage to coast through.” Socially, Radford is “clique oriented.” “The size of our school allows everyone to be known by someone, but no one knows everyone,” reflects a profound senior.

Campus Life

In a nutshell, “intramural sports, Greek life, and partying” pretty much sum up life at Radford. The “extremely gorgeous” and “beautifully manicured” campus is located in “a small quaint town” in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. “The area is rather boondockish” but the river near campus provides “excellent” recreational opportunities. “There are plenty of clubs and organizations,” too. There’s also “a great student center with bowling, pool tables, a movie theater, and other things.” It may well be that “most of the time the rumors are not even true” but “Radford is often touted as a party school.” “Drunken escapades” are pretty common and “Greek Life is a big deal.” Some students say that “it can be hard sometimes to get into parties” if you don’t pledge. Others disagree. “If you don’t want to go Greek, you don’t have to ever step foot in a frat house but you can still have a great time,” reports a junior. Many students often travel to nearby Blacksburg for even bigger parties at Virginia Tech as well. You can avoid the party scene altogether if you want. However, you “have to search a little harder for people to associate with or things to do that don’t involve mass alcohol consumption.”

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Contact & Visit

Campus Visits Contact

Contact
Shayna Lyle
Assistant Director of Admissions

Address
PO Box 6903
Radford, VA 24142-6903

Phone
540-831-5371

Email
slyle2@radford.edu

Experience College Life

Most Popular Places On Campus
Student Recreation & Wellness Center (opened fall 2014)
Davis College of Business & Economics building (Kyle Hall) (opened fall 2012)
College of Humanities & Behavioral Science building and Starbucks (2016)
Hurlburt Student Center, including food court, game room and auditorium
Dedmon Center Complex, for cheering on Highlander Div 1 athletic events
For extracurricular activities, Radford University students can choose over 300 clubs and organizations, hundreds of intramural teams, and men's and women's NCAA sports teams. In addition, the Campus Activities Board sponsors weekly movies, lectures, debates and late-night programs, including well-known performers. Students also enjoy the open green spaces on campus for pick-up sports with friends or for solitude while studying. And as an acclaimed ?green? campus, students actively participate in sustainability efforts. The university offers a variety of undergraduate research opportunities, unique to many colleges, both on-campus and off-campus in the community and at unique locations such as Alaska, the Caribbean and the Amazon. In 2016, the university opened the 114,000-square-foot Center for the Sciences, which also has a state-of-the-art planetarium, Museum of the Earth Sciences and award-winning Radford University Forensic Science Institute) and 143,600-square-foot College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences (that includes a large Starbucks) - both with modern classrooms, laboratories and technology that foster collaborative learning and research.

Most Popular Places Off Campus
Radford City's Bisset and Wildwood parks and trails
Appalachian Trail and Blue Ridge Parkway
New River and Roanoke Shopping Malls
The New River (scenic river, great for recreation)
Claytor Lake State Park
Situated just above the New River, thought to be one of the oldest in the world, Radford University provides a picturesque setting for a college career. Students can find an abundance of outdoor recreation such as boating, hiking, canoeing, bird watching and biking. The university's Selu Conservancy, situated along the Little River, offers 380 acres for both hands-on scientific research and recreation. In addition to the outdoor activities, students engage with the community in meaningful service projects and internship opportunities.

Campus Tours

Campus Tours
Appointment Required: Yes
Dates: Year-round
Times: Varies
Average Length: Varies

On Campus Interview

Campus Interviews
Yes

Information Sessions
Available

Times
Year round

Faculty and Coach Visits

Arrangements
Contact Athletic Department

Class Visits

Dates/Times Available
Varies

Arrangements
Contact Admissions Office

Overnight Dorm Stays

Overnight Dorm Stays
Not Available

Transportation

Types of Transportation Available to Campus
Radford Transit, professionally operated by New River Valley Community Services, is a joint partnership between the City of Radford, Radford University, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration. Radford Transit provides safe, reliable and convenient public transit to Radford University students, faculty and staff and the citizens of Radford. Radford Transit connects passengers to all points on campus as well as connections to the SmartWay Bus, MegaBus, Lynchburg Amtrak station and the Roanoke Regional Airport.

Driving Instructions to Campus
From Interstate 81, take exit 109 onto U.S. Route 177 north. Follow Route 177 (which becomes Tyler Avenue) for about 4 miles. Turn right onto Main Street, and proceed one block to the university entrance on your right. The main entrance is marked by a large Radford University sign. As you enter, Martin Hall is on the right, with the Admissions Office in Room 115.

Local Accommodations
City of Radford and the New River Valley offer a variety of lodging, including historic bed and breakfast homes, brand as well as locally owned hotels and motels, and well-appointed cabins and vacation rentals. For more information on lodging and area attractions go to: www.visitradford.com
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Admissions


Applicants: 11,072
Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average HS GPA: 3.47







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