Christopher Newport University (CNU) is a public university in Newport News, Virginia. It was founded in 1960 and is named after Christopher Newport, captain of one of the ships which carried settlers of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. History In 1960, the city of Newport News joined with the Commonwealth of Virginia to create Christopher Newport College (CNC), which opened its doors in 1961 and at the time was located in the old John W. Daniel School building. The college was founded as an extension of the College of William & Mary and offered extension courses that had already been available in the area for some time. In 1964, the college was moved to its current location, a tract of land purchased and donated by the city. That same year, the college's first permanent building was dedicated as Christopher Newport Hall. In 1971, CNC became a four-year college; however, it remained an extension of William & Mary until 1977 when it attained its independence. In 1992, the college became a university under the leadership of President Anthony R. Santoro, who oversaw the building of the first residence hall. In 1996, CNU made plans to become more competitive. Those plans included the expansion of university property, several new buildings, and residence halls, as well as overhauling academic programs and the admission process. Presidents H. Wescott Cunningham 1961–1970 James C. Windsor 1970–1979 John E. Anderson 1979–1987 Anthony Santoro 1987–1996 Paul S. Trible Jr. 1996–2022 Adelia Thompson 2022–present (Interim) Academics Admissions In 2022, U.S. News & World Report found that Christopher Newport University admissions were "selective" with an acceptance rate of 89%. For over a decade, the university has not required submission of SAT, ACT or CLT scores, but for the many students who still chose to submit scores, the middle 50% of applicants admitted had an SAT score between 1110 and 1320 or an ACT score between 25 and 29. There are minimum GPA and rank-in-class requirements for test-optional consideration, but the university uses a holistic review process in admissions that takes many other factors into consideration. Rankings For 2022-2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked Christopher Newport University #5 overall, #45 for Best Value, tied #11 for Most Innovative, tied #126 in Top Performers on Social Mobility, and #2 in Top Public Schools out of 136 Regional Universities in the South. Degrees and programs Christopher Newport University