"The great object of our aim from the beginning has been to make the establishment the most eminent in the United States."
— Thomas Jefferson, from a letter to Joseph C. Cabell, 1822

"The University places the highest priority on achieving eminence as a center of higher learning."
— Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, from the Mission Statement, 2003

Founded by Thomas Jefferson, the grounds designed by him as well, the University of Virginia opened in 1825 as the nation's first public university. It proudly upholds its legacy today, nearly two centuries later. The University has been repeatedly named the nation's top public university in U.S. News and World Report. Since those rankings began, it has always appeared in the top 25 of all U.S. colleges and universities, private and public. Rankings.

The University of Virginia is located in the small Central Virginia city of Charlottesville, Virginia, 25 miles east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, 70 miles west of Richmond and 110 miles southwest of Washington, D.C.

Nearly 20,000 students attend the University of Virginia, 13,000 of them undergraduates. Of those, 69% are Virginia residents. Even for in-state students, competition for admission is stiff. In 2003, out of 14,868 applicants, 3,102 were admitted. Of those entering as first-year students in 2004, 85% ranked in the top tenth of their high school class. Retention rates steadily top 90%. Students.

At the heart of the University is Thomas Jefferson's Rotunda, Lawn, Ranges, and Pavilion Gardens, recognized as an architectural masterpiece by the American Institute of Architects and UNESCO's World Heritage List. Students and faculty, administrators and alumni still work, meet, live, and learn together as Jefferson intended in his Academical Village.

The University has grown far beyond the Lawn to include residential and classroom buildings, the Health System, the North Grounds, and research parks. For maps of the University, click here.

"Our mission is to provide a work environment in which human values and relationships are respected, where cultural diversity is welcomed and where each person's worth and dignity are valued and nurtured."
— Tom Gausvik, Chief Human Resource Officer, University of Virginia

More than 11,000 full-time faculty and staff members work at the University of Virginia. With a faculty numbering just over 2,000, the faculty-to-undergraduate-student ratio is roughly 1 to 15.6. U.Va.'s Human Resources is dedicated to bringing out the full career potential of every employee. Benefits range from health insurance and paid leave to leadership development and support for continuing education. Faculty and Staff.

The University's academic component is divided into eight schools plus a continuing education school and a regional campus in southwest Virginia. Some offer graduate degree programs only.

Undergraduate and Graduate Schools
School of Architecture
College of Arts & Sciences
Curry School of Education
School of Engineering and Applied Science
McIntire School of Commerce
School of Nursing

Graduate Schools
Darden Graduate School of Business Administration
School of Law
School of Medicine

Continuing and Regional Education
School of Continuing and Professional Education
University of Virginia's College at Wise

"This institution exists to serve others, and does so through the expression of our core values: respect, integrity, stewardship, and excellence."
— Mission Statement of the U.Va. Health System

The Health System includes the Schools of Medicine and Nursing, the Medical Center and Hospital, the Health Sciences Library, and 23 research centers. Employing nearly 2,400 ful time, including more than 900 faculty, it is a vibrant hub of study, practice, service, and outreach at the University of Virginia. U.Va. Health System.

The University of Virginia Hospital maintains 534 beds plus a nursery and a Level I trauma center. In 2003, for the fifth year in a row, after a review of 5,600 American health care systems, the University of Virginia Medical Center was named one of the nation's top 100 hospitals by Solucient. Among doctors practicing and teaching at U.Va., 45 are listed in the 2003 edition of America's Top Doctors.

Libraries: The University of Virginia Library system contains 14 libraries, including the general library collections in Alderman Library, the Clemons Undergraduate Library, and the newly built Harrison Institute and Small Library, home to the University's internationally distinguished Special Collections. The University of Virginia Library is an official U.S. public documents repository.

Technology: With a high-speed campuswide wireless network and an educated team of computing experts in Information, Technology and Communication, the University of Virginia strives to incorporate computing technology innovatively into every aspect of teaching, research, and administrative work. Course enrollment, class discussions, paper submissions, and administrative documentation are all often handled electronically. The University's Information Technology magazine, virginia.edu, gives a flavor of IT at U.Va.

Electronic Media: The University of Virginia stepped out early as a leader in the use of digital technologies in higher education. It is home to the Electronic Text Center, known worldwide for its archive of electronic texts and images. E-Text Center staff help faculty and students gain access to and create electronic research materials. U.Va.'s Geostat is specially equipped and staffed to analyze geographical and statistical data. The Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities and the Virginia Center for Digital History help students and faculty use leading-edge technologies in teaching and research.

Public Service: In business, the arts education, environmental planning, health care, government and public policy, social services, and other arenas, the community of the University of Virginia forms meaningful links with the world, locally, nationally, and globally. Visit an online guide to public service programs at U.Va. to explore ongoing initiatives.

During the fiscal year 2003, research projects at the University of Virginia received $277 million in outside funding from federal, state, and private sources, including $146 million from the National Institutes of Health and $13.8 million from the National Science Foundation. Virginia especially excels in the humanities and the biomedical, physical, and engineering sciences. For current research highlights, click here or visit Explorations, the magazine of research and public service projects at the University.

Lively partnerships develop between business and research faculty at the Universitys. With two research parks established by the University of Virginia Foundation, laboratory researchers collaborate with business developers to bring knowledge and service from the University to the general public. Linking Business & Research.

The University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, where urban sophistication and a pastoral landscape combine with the comfort and convenience of a small town, population 40,000. Frommer's 2004 Cities Ranked and Rated named Charlottesville the best place to live in America. Charlottesville.

Surrounding Albemarle County, is a predominantly rural area, population 80,000. Its illustrious past is reflected in its historic homes: Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and James Madison's Ash Lawn/Highland. Not far away is James Monroe's Montpelier. Sports and recreationaly opportunities are abundant, with seven county parks, numerous hiking trails, lakes and rivers, and the Appalachian Trail just a short drive away. Albemarle County.

Charlottesville celebrates all year long, looking forward to First Night Virginia, a family-oriented New Year's Eve occasion; the Virginia Festival of the Book, attracting hundreds of authors and thousands of readers every March; the Dogwood Festival, with a springtime parade and carnival; and the Virginia Film Festival, three days and nights of screenings, discussions, guest appearances, and gala events in October. Quality public schools serve the area, as do private schools including a Catholic and a Friends school. Thousands of area children and adults participate in municipal sports leagues and in year-round outings to hike, swim, bicycle, run, skate, ski, and enjoy the fresh air and envigorating landscape.

To further explore Charlottesville and Albemarle County, click here.
For places to stay when visiting the University of Virginia, click here.
For directions to Charlottesville and the University, click here.