University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA)
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public, research university whose flagship campus is located in Charlottesville, a town northwest of Richmond not far from Shenandoah National Park in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Established in 1819, the university was conceived and planned by Thomas Jefferson. The third President also designed and oversaw construction of several of the buildings on campus, notably the iconic Rotunda, which he modeled after the Pantheon in Rome, and which was one of the largest buildings in North America at the time. Jefferson also insisted that UVA not be affiliated with any particular religious group—something highly unusual for the times. The university is one of the eight original “Public Ivies,” and one of the very few Southern universities that remained open throughout the Civil War.
UVA is divided into 14 individual Schools and offers 51 bachelor’s degrees in 47 fields, 81 master’s degrees in 65 fields, and 57 doctoral degrees in 55 fields. The school accepts fewer than 30 percent of applicants. In solidarity with Jefferson’s principles, students at the University of Virginia do not “graduate”; instead they “take their degree.” This represents Jefferson’s belief that learning is a lifelong process with no end.
U.S. News & World Report considers UVA to be the #23 Best National University in the country.
The University of Virginia is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.