About the University
In 1819, Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia and inaugurated a bold experiment – a public university designed to advance human knowledge, educate leaders and cultivate an informed citizenry.
More than two centuries later, this vision is thriving. Across Grounds - and throughout the world - UVA students, faculty, staff and alumni challenge convention, break barriers and pursue the greater good.
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Raed Gilliam:
We cannot be great unless we are also good.
Camilo Sanchez:
And to be good, we must ask questions, questions that ask something of us.
Amy Mathers:
I think that I've always wanted to understand how life adapts, how all of us end up kind of evolving and fitting in.
Karen McGlathery:
What I think about is how do we create a better future where all people and all natural systems can thrive together?
Madhav Marathe:
How such contagions can be detected potentially before they start.
Jefferey Elias:
How to investigate treatment options for people with chronic pain problems.
Tony Bennett:
Can we teach our students to be better leaders as well as better citizens?
Camilo Sanchez:
Can you provide meaningful redress to those who have lost everything?
Sarah Kucenas:
If we can figure out how the cells are communicating, what we learn could lead us to understand something very important in human health and discover things that would allow us to rebuild our bodies.
Melody Barnes:
Can we do things together that we couldn't do separately?
Jim Ryan:
And I find that asking question, well, couldn't we at least as a way to get started?
Ian Solomon:
Can we do it? That's my driving question. And then, I have to have faith that we can. So then the question is, how do we do it? What are the skills? What are the attitudes? What's the knowledge? What's the new discoveries? What's the new practices and habits and behaviors that we need to cultivate in the next generation of leaders to help us get there?
Melody Barnes:
We are trying to, and we can, respond to the needs of societies.
Jim Ryan:
The other question I ask all the time is, what truly matters?
The University is an iconic public institution of higher education, boasting nationally ranked schools and programs, diverse and distinguished faculty, a major academic medical center and proud history as a renowned research university. The community and culture of the University are enriched by active student self-governance, sustained commitment to the arts and a robust NCAA Division I Athletics program.
In its third century, the University of Virginia offers an affordable, world-class education that is consistently ranked among the nation’s best.
#1
Top College in Virginia, Forbes, 2024-25
#1
Best Public College for Financial Aid, Princeton Review, 2024
#4
Best Public National University, U.S. News & World Report, 2025
As one of the nation’s leading public institutions, UVA pushes the boundaries of what’s possible – always in the name of the greater good. One of the things that makes this possible is an unswerving commitment to initiatives that grow, strengthen and shape our institution for the future.
On October 19, 2018, the University of Virginia inaugurated James E. Ryan as its ninth president. A respected and accomplished educator and legal scholar, President Ryan previously served as dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is a graduate of UVA Law.
The University of Virginia heads into its third century with a strong financial foundation. This includes an endowment of approximately $7.6 billion that yields $190 million in annual endowment contributions. In addition, the University's Strategic Investment Fund provides an additional $100 million annually for research and other strategic investments.
The University has attracted a vibrant and capable new leadership team possessing enormous talent, energy and creativity. These leaders are united in their efforts to sustain and further advance the University’s highest aspirations as one of the world’s truly remarkable institutions of higher learning.
UVA provides a world-class education to talented students who meet our rigorous standards. Through our financial aid model, we accept students solely on academic merit; cover 100% of financial need; and limit debt. One of two public universities using this approach, we offer robust student scholarship support while protecting against excessive student debt – because we believe a world-class education should be affordable to all.
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UVA serves as a powerful engine for the Commonwealth, either directly or indirectly supporting one in every 76 jobs in the state and generating nearly $6 billion in annual economic impact. The University generates hundreds of millions in tax revenue for local governments, and its faculty, staff and students contribute thousands of volunteer hours to local charities.
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UVA researchers focus on intellectual and societal challenges that impact the greater good, creating new knowledge that moves the world forward. As part of this effort, the University invests in several cross-disciplinary initiatives, including the Data Science Institute, Biocomplexity Institute and Initiative, in addition to many other significant resources. In FY24 alone, the University generated $549 million in sponsored research awards.
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Diversity stands with ethics, integrity, and academic excellence, as a cornerstone of University culture. The University promotes an inclusive and welcoming environment that embraces the full spectrum of human attributes, perspectives, and disciplines. When people of different backgrounds come together, they exchange ideas, question assumptions (including their own), and broaden the horizons for us all. A University of Virginia community rich in diversity affords every member equal respect and provides a forum for understanding our differences as well as our commonalities.
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