Acceptance Rate
17%
Avg. SAT
1540
75th percentile
“Thomas Jefferson's Rotunda-centered vision where ambitious students swear by an ironclad Honor Code amid Virginia's rolling hills.”
Charlottesville, VA
Location
Midsize Suburb
Campus Setting
You'll step onto a campus Thomas Jefferson personally sketched in 1819, blending Enlightenment ideals with red-brick pavilions that scream classical republic—America's first state-sponsored university designed as a secular engine for democracy. UVA draws driven, preppy types who thrive on intellectual sparring and Southern politesse, the kind who debate policy over tailgates and lead Model UN without breaking a sweat. Charlottesville wraps around it like a cozy quilt: a leafy, walkable burg of 45,000 in the Blue Ridge foothills, buzzing with farm-to-table spots and live music, yet isolated enough that road trips to DC feel epic. Tradeoffs hit hard—out-of-staters pay premium tuition without much aid, and the homogeneous vibe (mostly affluent white Southerners) can feel clubby if you're from a wildly different background.
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Available Online
Degree Levels Offered
In seminar-style classes capped at 20, you'll dissect Jefferson's original texts or crunch data in the Data Science Institute, where profs like Larry Sabato turn poli-sci lectures into cable-news fodder. Echoing its founder's elective revolution, UVA lets you mix McIntire's cutthroat commerce program (think case competitions galore) with architecture studios amid Jefferson's blueprints or nursing sim-labs that mimic ER chaos. Research beckons early via the Summer Language Institute's immersion abroad or REU grants in quantum materials—15:1 ratios mean mentors actually know your name, unlike faceless state flagships. But expect grade deflation in STEM; it's more grind than glide, weeding out all but the laser-focused.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
17,885 undergrad • 8,524 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
51%
Black / African American
7%
Hispanic / Latino
7%
Asian
16%
Other / Multi-racial
19%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Charlottesville, VA
Varsity Athletics
Picture weekends lighting up the Lawn for Foxfield steeplechase tailgates, where seersucker-clad crowds sip mint juleps before Cavaliers football packs Scott Stadium with 60,000 screaming fans. Greek life claims a third of undergrads, fueling frat parties that earn its top-10 party school rep, but you'll balance that with 1,000 clubs—from the Sailing Pavilion's Chesapeake regattas to a cappella Lawn concerts. Residential life mixes historic Lawn rooms (drafty but prestigious for third-years) with modern dorms; a typical week juggles 8am echoes, gym sessions at the Aquatic Center, and Thursday bar hops on the Corner. Challenges? Winters drag with gray skies, social tiers reward extroverts, and the Honor Code's single-sanction expulsion keeps everyone on eggshells—no cheating, but zero tolerance bites.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
NCAA
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
Yes
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Yellow Ribbon Program (Post-9/11 GI Bill)
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Recognized student veteran organization
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
98%
4 Years Graduation Rate
89%
6 Years Graduation Rate
93%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$86,863
98% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at University of Virginia-Main Campus and return in the fall. 89% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 93% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
89%
4-5 years
4%
6-8 years
1%
Non-grad
6%
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Key Statistics
Type
Public
Tuition
$18,059
Acceptance
17%
Undergrads
17,885
4-Year Grad Rate
89%
Endowment
$9.6B
Charlottesville, VA 22903-2628