When Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia, he wanted each building in his Academical Village to represent a branch of learning. To this day, the buildings house both students and faculty members. They reinforce the idea that all learning is connected and that all subject areas have merit. At U.Va., teaching and learning are not hierarchical processes; they are things faculty and students undertake together.

U.Va. prides itself on maintaining a low student-teacher ratio, promoting faculty research that then feeds back into and enriches classroom learning, and offering undergraduate and graduate students alike plenty of opportunities for individualized discussion.

On top of its focus on student-driven learning, the University has a strong reputation for encouraging research—even to the point of offering students grants to pursue individual projects. Our relative smaller size allows us to offer an experience that is not just broad, but deep. Around 90% of our classes are taught by professors, and our overall vibe is one of accessibility plus possibility.

For a list of all departments, schools, and academic programs at U.Va., please click here.

First-year students apply to one of four undergraduate schools: Arts and Sciences, Architecture, Engineering, or Nursing or to the Kinesiology program in the Curry School of Education. Students interested in other programs in the School of Education, the McIntire School of Commerce, or the Batten School for Leadership and Public Policy apply for those schools after one or two years in the College of Arts and Sciences. Please see the schools’ websites for more details.