How to get into Regent University
How to get into Regent: the Virginia Beach Christian university where the Robertson School of Government and the School of Divinity drive the identity
38.1%
Acceptance rate
$21,650
In-state cost
What makes Regent University admissions different
Regent University is a private evangelical Christian university in Virginia Beach, founded 1977 by Pat Robertson, with ~4,700 undergrads and a substantial graduate population. Regent is openly evangelical (every undergraduate takes a Christian Worldview / Foundations of Faith sequence) and is best known for the Robertson School of Government, the School of Law, the School of Divinity, the Honors College, and a large online undergraduate program. Regent is not Common App — applicants apply through the Regent portal — and the admit timeline is rolling.
What an actually competitive application looks like
- 1.
Apply via the Regent online application. Regent does not use the Common App. Submit your high school transcript, an essay or short personal statement, and a pastoral or character reference.
- 2.
Aim for a 3.0+ unweighted GPA and submit ACT or SAT scores if you have them (Regent uses scores for admission and scholarship banding).
- 3.
Write the personal-statement essay with reference to the Christian Worldview Foundations sequence and a specific Regent school (Robertson Government, Divinity, Communication, Law, Psychology, Cybersecurity). Regent is openly evangelical and applicants who don't acknowledge that fit are misreading the file.
- 4.
Apply for the Honors College — Regent's named academic-track program. Honors admits the strongest files and includes Honors-stamped seminars and study-abroad funding.
- 5.
File the FAFSA (Regent federal school code 030913). Regent's institutional aid and the Pat Robertson Scholarship pipeline are awarded on a rolling basis to early applicants.
Common mistakes that hurt applicants here
- ✕
Treating Regent as a secular university. The evangelical identity is central and applicants who don't reflect awareness of it are misreading the file.
- ✕
Confusing the residential and online undergraduate programs. Regent runs both; applicants should be explicit about which track they want.
- ✕
Skipping the Honors application. Honors is the funded path through Regent and the application is short.
The specifics for Regent University
Application deadlines
- Rolling admissionRollingNo fixed deadlines; earlier applicants get scholarship priority
What makes this admissions process distinctive
Robertson School of Government ↗
Distinctive undergraduate and graduate program in government, public policy, and political science with explicit conservative-Christian framing and DC-area internship pipelines.
School of Divinity and Christian Worldview core
Every undergraduate completes a Christian Worldview / Foundations of Faith sequence; the School of Divinity is one of the largest evangelical seminaries in the country.
Online undergraduate scale
Regent operates one of the largest evangelical online undergraduate programs in the country; the residential and online cohorts have different application timelines.
Notable scholarships at Regent University
Pat Robertson Scholarship
Top-tier institutional scholarship awarded based on academic profile and ministry/leadership history.
Honors College Scholarship
Awarded to Honors College admits through the supplemental Honors application.
What graduates actually do
Regent, founded by Pat Robertson in Virginia Beach in 1977, trains evangelical Christian leaders in law, communication, government, business, and divinity. Its law school and government school have placed alumni in conservative judicial clerkships, the federal government, and the Christian broadcasting industry.
Notable alumni
- Bob McDonnell — Former Governor of Virginia
- Ken Cuccinelli — Former Virginia Attorney General
- Mike Huckabee — Former Governor of Arkansas (honorary degree)
- Kay Coles James — Former president, Heritage Foundation
Transfer pathway
Regent admits transfers on a rolling basis with eight start terms per year online. Up to 90 transfer credits may be accepted toward the bachelor's degree. Regent maintains explicit articulation agreements with several community colleges (Tidewater, Liberty's pathway, military programs) and accepts a broad range of CLEP/DSST and military credits.
Specifics verified 2026-05-18 from the school's own admissions page + Common App. Always confirm current-year details directly on the school site before applying.
If you're on the bubble
Regent admits a friendly share of applicants with GPAs in the 2.5-3.0 band when the file shows fit with the evangelical Christian identity. Online undergraduate programs have an even friendlier admit profile for working adults and non-traditional students.
Next steps
Last updated: November 2025. Acceptance rate and cost data refreshed nightly from college reporting.