National Universities USA – 2016 – University of Southern California – Rank 26/100

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA 22904
Phone: (434) 924-0311

University of Virginia is a public institution that was founded in 1819. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 16,483, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 1,682 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Virginia’s ranking in the 2016 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 26. Its in-state tuition and fees are $14,526 (2015-16); out-of-state tuition and fees are $43,822 (2015-16).

Founded by Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville. It’s referred to among insiders as Mr. Jefferson’s University or simply The University. Only first-year students are required to live on campus, and many upperclassmen live in off-campus apartments or fraternity and sorority houses. Greek life is prominent at UVA with a membership that includes approximately 30 percent of the student body. The Cavaliers, known unofficially as Wahoos or ‘Hoos, are members of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference and are well known for their consistently dominant men’s and women’s lacrosse teams.

UVA’s graduate programs include the highly ranked Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, Curry School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Law and School of Medicine. UVA houses one of the 25 remaining original copies of the Declaration of Independence, called a Dunlap Broadside, in its Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. The school also has its own distinct lingo: The campus is referred to as the “grounds,” the central quad is the “lawn,” and students are either a first, second, third or fourth year. Former U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, journalist Katie Couric and former NFL player Tiki Barber all earned degrees from UVA. Famous writer Edgar Allen Poe was forced to leave the school after losing his tuition money to gambling, but his dorm room on the lawn is still preserved and on display for visitors.

The University of Virginia offers the vast intellectual resources of a major research university, but fosters the intimacy, sense of community, and dedication to undergraduate life typically found at a small liberal arts college. While it is public, and welcomes women and men of every background, it also is highly selective and attracts students who seek challenges. Their motivation to achieve is matched by a culture of mutual support, openness, civility, and above all, integrity and trust. With its balance — between cutting-edge scholarship and first-rate teaching, between rigorous academics and rewarding activities — U.Va. offers an undergraduate experience with few equals.