The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson. It was established in 1819 and since then it is the only university in the United States to be designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, an honor it shares with nearby Monticello. The University is one of a select group of 58 American and Canadian universities chosen for membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities.

The University of Virginia is distinctive among institutions of higher education. It sustains the ideal of developing, through education, leaders who are well-prepared to help shape the future of the nation. The University is nourished by the strong support of its alumni. The students who come here have been chosen because they show the exceptional promise Jefferson envisioned.

The University of Virginia is made up of ten schools in Charlottesville, plus the College at Wise in southwest Virginia. It offers 51 bachelor's degrees in 47 fields, 84 master's degrees in 67 fields, six educational specialist degrees, two first-professional degrees (law and medicine), and 57 doctoral degrees in 55 fields. Moreover, it offers certificates that can be completed entirely online.

Many of our students receive some type of financial assistance in a typical year. The aid is available in grants, work-study, and loans (including athletic grants and parent loans).

The University expects both intellectual ability and academic achievement from its applicants. And it also values personal qualities that allow students to enrich the life of the community. Admission is highly competitive.

The University of Virginia was chartered by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1819. As every institute, it is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degrees.