The University of Virginia (UVA), founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, is a prestigious public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. Renowned for its historic foundations, student self-governance, and strong traditions, UVA combines the resources of a major research institution with the intimacy of a liberal arts college.
| Acronym | UVA |
| Nickname | Cavaliers (also known as Wahoos or Hoos) |
| Motto / Slogan | Cavaliers (also known as Wahoos or Hoos) |
| Colour | Orange and blue |
| Mascot | Cavalier (CavMan) |
| Founded | 1819 |
| Location | Charlottesville, Virginia, United States |
| Address | University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States 22904-4224 |
It serves 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.
As a public institution, the University of Virginia is responsible for delivering excellence and opportunity. UVA is committed to helping talented students pursue their dreams, regardless of their financial situations. “Hoos First” is a University initiative that offers resources and support for students who are the first generation in their families to attend college. The cohort of first-generation students at UVA has more than doubled since 2015, growing from 9% to 19% in 2024.
Responsible stewardship and visionary financial leadership strengthen our foundation and enable us to continually pursue our highest ambitions. Careful resource management, prudent investments and organizational excellence are reasons why we’re one of only four public universities in the country with an AAA bond rating from all three major credit-rating agencies.
UVA is consistently ranked among the top public universities in the U.S. and is also recognized nationally for the quality of its programs and faculty — including top-ranked schools of law, business, education, and nursing.
UVA is a major research institution where students can engage directly in cutting-edge work alongside faculty on real projects from data science and engineering to social policy and medicine.
Entry requirements vary by program and course. Check the program page for specific requirements.
Entry requirements vary by program and course. Check the program page for specific requirements.
UNDERGRADUATE:
POSTGRADUATE:
Email: [email protected]
Phone : 434-982-5300, 434-924-3587
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Scott C. Beardsley took office as the University of Virginia’s 10th president on Jan. 1, 2026. At the time of the Board of Visitors’ unanimous vote to select Beardsley on Dec. 19, 2025, he was the University’s longest-serving among active deans. He has led the Darden School of Business, consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and #1 by Financial Times. As dean, he elevated Darden’s stellar reputation to new heights. Now, he brings the inspiration and vision of a global thought leader to all of Grounds and beyond. Beardsley focuses on building authentic relationships that not only withstand but benefit from our rapidly changing world and serve our shared humanity.
In this role, Davis is the University’s chief administrative, business, and operating officer and is responsible for setting financial policy and overseeing the financial affairs of the University including its schools and the Medical Center. In addition, these key operational and administrative areas report to her, in some cases through a vice president: finance, human resources, capital planning, facilities management, business operations, organizational excellence, emergency management, public safety and security, information technology services and information security, audit, compliance, risk management, and economic development. Davis serves on the boards of the UVA Physicians Group, the University of Virginia Investment Management Company (UVIMCO), the University of Virginia Foundation, the Foundation of the State Arboretum of Virginia (Blandy Experimental Farm), and the Health System Board (ex officio). She is also a member of UVIMCO's Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility.
In 2011, Rosner became chair of the department of medicine, the School of Medicine’s largest clinical department. There, he has overseen the development of key strategic programs in oncology, critical care, and cardiology. He is board-certified in both internal medicine and nephrology, and holds the title of the Henry B. Mulholland Professor of Medicine.
By training, Rosner is a nephrologist with a clinical focus on fluid and electrolyte disorders, acute kidney injury, peritoneal dialysis, and polycystic kidney disease (PKD). He is a principal investigator on several trials studying novel compounds for the treatment of PKD and leads a regional PKD clinical center of excellence. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and seven books. Rosner serves as the education director for the International Society of Nephrology. He is also the recipient of the 2019 Robert Narins Award from the American Society of Nephrology, recognizing his contributions to the field.
She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the National Academy of Medicine, and the National Academy of Inventors, with 20 patents that have been licensed to ten different companies. One company, Nanospectra Biosciences Inc., co-founded by West, is running human clinical trials of a cancer therapy she invented. Her priorities as Dean of Engineering at UVA include building upon the school’s research trajectory, increasing experiential learning opportunities for students, and ensuring a clear pathway to entrepreneurship for faculty and students.
He was also the Director of Project Development for Columbia World Projects, a university-wide initiative that mobilizes researchers and scholars to work with governments, organizations, businesses, and communities to tackle global challenges. He served on the Executive Committee of the Earth Institute and Columbia's Climate School. Hutson has also held academic leadership appointments at the University of California at Berkeley where he was tenured and was the Chancellor's Associate Professor of City Planning. He also served as the Associate Director of the Institute of Urban and Regional Planning (IURD) and was the Chair of the Urban Studies Program.
On January 18, 1800, Thomas Jefferson, then the Vice President of the United States, alluded to plans for a new college in a letter written to British scientist Joseph Priestley: “We wish to establish in the upper country of Virginia, and more centrally for the State, a University on a plan so broad and liberal and modern, as to be worth patronizing with the public support, and be a temptation to the youth of other States to come and drink of the cup of knowledge and fraternize with us.... read more
In 1802, while serving as President of the United States, Jefferson wrote to artist Charles Willson Peale that his concept of the new university would be "on the most extensive and liberal scale that our circumstances would call for and our faculties meet". Virginia was already home to The College of William & Mary, but Jefferson lost confidence in his alma mater, partly because of its religious stances and lack of courses in the sciences. Although Jefferson had flourished under the tutelage of College of William & Mary professors William Small and George Wythe, his concerns with the College became great enough by 1800 that he wrote: “We have in that State, a college just well enough endowed to draw out the miserable existence to which a miserable constitution has doomed it.” Thus, he began planning a university more aligned with his educational ideals.