Christopher Newport University began in 1960 as a two-year branch of William & Mary, and it grew into a public liberal arts university in Newport News, on the Virginia Peninsula. It is mostly undergraduate. The red-brick Georgian campus, the Ferguson Center for the Arts and the Luter School of Business are the parts visitors notice first. Students live on campus for their first years.
Newport News, Virginia, United States
Official website: cnu.edu
1960
Public liberal arts university in Virginia
Luter School of Business
$30,000 – $33,000
Out-of-state tuition and fees, undergraduate
$13,000 – $16,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on cnu.edu before you apply.
BS Computer Science
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
BS Computer Engineering
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
BSBA Business Administration
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
BS Neuroscience
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
MS Environmental Science
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 80
A compact, very residential undergraduate campus.
The Ferguson Center for the Arts, which hosts touring shows.
A President's Leadership Program that many students join.
Newport News Shipbuilding and defence contractors hire engineering and computing graduates.
NASA Langley, in nearby Hampton, offers research internships.
STEM graduates can extend OPT to three years.
Undergrad
Early Feb deadline
Postgrad
Rolling
The campus sits in a quiet part of Newport News near the Mariners' Museum and its lake. Shipyards, naval bases and beaches are all within half an hour.
Williamsburg is about 25 minutes up the road, and Virginia Beach roughly an hour. Most students live on campus, which keeps costs predictable.
Form I-20 issued by Christopher Newport University
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
Christopher Newport's regular deadline for first-year students is in early February, with an early action round in November. International applicants should apply early for I-20 timing.
New undergraduates start in the fall. Spring entry is possible for some transfer students.
You'll need an F-1 visa. Once you accept your offer and send proof of funding, Christopher Newport University issues the Form I-20. After that it's the SEVIS fee, the DS-160 form and an interview at a US embassy or consulate.
Computer science, computer engineering, business and neuroscience are popular. Admission looks at school grades and course rigour, with IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 80 for non-native speakers.
CNU offers a limited number of merit scholarships, and international students are considered at the point of admission. Most aid for out-of-state students is merit-based and competitive.
