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Fast Facts

The University of Richmond blends the intimacy of a small college with exceptional academic, research and cultural opportunities usually found only at large institutions. A nationally ranked liberal arts university, Richmond offers a unique combination of undergraduate and graduate programs through its schools of arts and sciences, business, leadership studies, law and continuing studies.

University

  • Private, highly selective liberal arts university
  • Ranked one of the best liberal arts universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report
  • Founded in 1830 (second-oldest private university in Virginia) and home to a number of rich traditions
  • Dr. Edward L. Ayers became the University’s ninth president on July 1, 2007
  • Accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Schools

  • School of Arts and Sciences
  • Robins School of Business (ranked in the top 20 nationally by BusinessWeek)
  • Jepson School of Leadership Studies (first school of its kind in the nation)
  • Richmond School of Law
  • School of Continuing Studies

Academics

  • Challenging, interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate degree programs
  • 57 majors, 42 minors and 14 concentrations at the bachelor’s level
  • Ranked in the top 35 nationally for undergraduate research by U.S. News & World Report
  • Three master’s degrees and an MBA degree program
  • Juris doctorate and six dual degree programs in law
  • Continuing studies offers seven majors at the bachelor and associate levels, four at the certificate level, two graduate certificates, two master’s programs and nine minors, in addition to numerous non-credit offerings
  • 33 honor societies, including Phi Beta Kappa
  • Three libraries (including the main, music and law libraries) with more than one million volumes in the collections

Students

  • 2,735 undergraduate students (51 percent women, 13 percent underrepresented minorities)
  • 575 master’s and professional students (excluding the School of Continuing Studies)
  • 610 part-time and 195 full-time continuing studies students
  • Undergraduates from 45 states and 72 foreign countries
  • In recent years, Richmond students have been recipients of the Rhodes, Marshall, Goldwater, Clarendon, Truman and Fulbright scholarships, among many others

Faculty

  • 347 full-time faculty members (259 at assistant level or above, 98 percent of whom hold a Ph.D. or terminal degree)
  • 9:1 student-faculty ratio in full-time undergraduate divisions
  • Zero classes taught by teaching assistants or graduate students
  • Emphasis on hands-on, collaborative research and discovery-based learning

Rankings

  • U.S. News & World Report ranked Richmond one of the best liberal arts universities in the nation and in the top 35 for undergraduate research
  • BusinessWeek ranked The Robins School of Business in the top 20 nationally and fourth for academic quality, as well as among the top 15 part-time MBA programs
  • Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine named Richmond in the top 25 for best value among private colleges and universities

Campus

  • 350-acre suburban campus, including a 10-acre lake
  • Inspiring Collegiate Gothic architecture
  • Consistently cited by The Princeton Review as one of the most beautiful campuses in the nation
  • 92 percent of students live on campus throughout their undergraduate education
  • Located six miles from downtown Richmond, the dynamic capital of Virginia
  • Centrally located two hours from Washington, D.C., the Blue Ridge Mountains and Virginia’s beaches
  • State-of-the-art technology
  • Wireless campus network

Student Life

  • Approximately 275 clubs and organizations, including student government, honor and judicial councils, national sororities and fraternities, and more
  • Two-thirds of undergraduate students participate in volunteer service each year

Study Abroad

  • 70 programs in 40 countries
  • Study abroad participation rate: 70%
  • Ranked fifth among baccalaureate colleges for the number of students studying abroad by the Institute of International Education

Athletics

  • NCAA Division I in 19 varsity sports
  • Affiliated with Atlantic 10 Conference for all sports except for football and women’s golf, which have a conference association with the Colonial Athletic Association
  • Recognized as the best athletic program in the Atlantic 10 for three straight years
  • Very active club, intramural and recreational sport programs
  • School mascot is the Spider

Tuition, Room, Board and Fees (2008-09)

  • Undergraduate tuition: $38,850
  • Room, board and fees: $8,200
  • Total: $47,050

Financial Aid and Scholarships

  • 68 percent of students receive financial assistance
  • Average need-based award in fall 2007 was $32,210
  • $42.2 million in financial aid awarded this year
  • Committed to meeting 100 percent of demonstrated need for all admitted U.S. citizens and permanent residents
  • Need-blind in admission decisions
  • Special scholarships for Virginians
  • Aid for international students also is available

Alumni

  • 44,921 alumni residing in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and more than 60 countries

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