Batten University

Batten campus

Batten University is a private university in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with more than 2,000 undergraduate students and about 150 graduate students. The university is located on a 300-acre, park-like campus just minutes from the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay. Founded as Virginia Wesleyan College in 1961, the institution became Virginia Wesleyan University in 2017 and officially changed its name to Batten University in July 2026. Its liberal arts and sciences foundation emphasizes scholarship, service, lifelong learning and environmental stewardship.

Batten offers a broad range of academic options, with 47 undergraduate majors, 30 minors and 19 pre-professional tracks. Business is the most popular major, followed by biology, psychology, criminal justice and sport and recreation professions. Classes are small, averaging 15 students, and there are no classes taught by teaching assistants. Students interested in health professions have particularly interesting options, including an early assurance relationship with Eastern Virginia Medical School and an accelerated pathway to an MD through a partnership with Western Atlantic University School of Medicine. Batten also recently incorporated Sentara College of Health Sciences, expanding its health sciences and nursing offerings.

building on Batten Campus

The Jane P. Batten Honors College provides an especially distinctive experience for high-achieving students. Admission is invitation-only, requires a minimum 3.5 GPA, and students compete for either full-tuition or three-quarter-tuition scholarships. Honors students live together in an Honors Village and have opportunities for preferred admission to graduate programs at William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

Batten has a strong emphasis on experiential learning and career preparation. The university's Athenaeum helps students pursue internships, study away, undergraduate research, careers and graduate school opportunities. All first-year and sophomore students participate in January Term, a three-week period in which students take one intensive course; options include unusual courses, travel courses and classes that help students fulfill general education requirements.

Campus life is residential, with students generally living on campus unless they commute. There is a small Greek system, as well as student organizations, religious groups and 23 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, including esports. The university also has a collaborative campus in Tokyo through its partnership with Lakeland University Japan, giving students a unique opportunity to incorporate travel to Japan into their college experience.

Who would thrive at Batten?
Batten is a particularly interesting option for a student who wants a small-school environment, close relationships with professors and a wide range of academic and pre-professional opportunities. It is a strong fit for a student interested in business, health sciences, biology, psychology or criminal justice, especially someone who wants to explore a health profession while still having the flexibility of a liberal arts and sciences education. Students who value a close-knit residential community, experiential learning and opportunities to build connections beyond campus will also find a lot to like here.

Fun Facts:

  • Virginia Wesleyan University was renamed Batten University in 2026, honoring a longtime donor and friend of the college, Jane Batten.

  • Benefactor Frank Batten Sr. was co-founder of The Weather Channel  in 1982, predicted to be a quick failure, but still a staple today

  • The university's Center for Neurodiversity and Career Development provides academic coaching, career support, internship placement and other services designed specifically around the strengths of neurodivergent students.

  • The Beacon, located in the center of campus, lights up in Batten U blue when the Marlins win athletic games and plays the fight song and alma mater daily.

  • Each retiring faculty member since 1997 is recognized with a new tree, planted in their honor, in the on-campus Wilson Arboretum 

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