The University of Virginia is a public institution of higher learning founded by Thomas Jefferson and chartered in 1819.
The University of Virginia is a public institution of higher learning. Its mission is to serve the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world by developing responsible citizen leaders and professionals, advancing, preserving, and disseminating knowledge, and providing world-class patient care. The Board of Visitors approved the mission statement on November 15, 2013.
Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia, and the Virginia General Assembly chartered it in 1819. The Rotunda, crowned at the end of the Lawn, is the University's first library.
The University of Virginia is a World Heritage Site, the only educational institution in the United States so designated by UNESCO. At the heart of the University is the Academical Village, where students live in single rooms between pavilions Jefferson designed to be professors' homes. The property is referred to as Grounds rather than campus. Facilities include Edgar Shannon Library, Charles L. Brown Science and Engineering Library, Clemons Library, The Fiske Kimball Fine Arts Library, Music Library, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, Old Cabell Hall, Betsy and John Casteen Arts Grounds theaters, The Fralin Museum of Art, Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, recreation centers, and Student Health and Wellness.
The University of Virginia is one of the top public universities in the nation. It is one of only four public universities in the country with an AAA bond rating from all three major credit-rating agencies. U.S. News & World Report ranks UVA as the number one best public college in Virginia for 2027. Sponsored research awards in fiscal year 2025 totaled $570 M.
The University's Honor Code is a pledge made by students to never lie, cheat, or steal. The Virginia Cavaliers compete at the NCAA Division I level across 25 NCAA teams and have been members of the Atlantic Coast Conference since 1953.
Undergraduate admission is handled through a general application. Graduate admission is handled by each school.