University of Virginia

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.Two centuries later, Jefferson’s vision thrives. Across Grounds - and throughout the world - UVA students, faculty, staff and alumni challenge convention, break barriers and pursue the greater good.

The University of Virginia is an iconic public institution of higher education, boasting nationally ranked schools and programs, 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 1 Athletics program.

UVA students learn in an environment of honor, self-governance, diversity, affordability, service, and classical architecture.They emerge as intellectually curious leaders who conduct themselves with integrity.Among the top 25 U.S. campuses for students studying abroad, UVA makes global cultures and issues central to its curriculum. We have several global research centers and a worldwide presence, partnering with international universities and governments to educate students and solve societal challenges.

The University’s medical center represents one half of our total annual budget and leads UVA forward in many research areas. We are currently entering into arrangements with other medical service providers to intensify our focus on the most acute care patients and further develop our research and clinical capabilities.

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 Board of Visitors fully supports ninth president, James E. Ryan, in his leadership of the University in its third century.Working to attain shared ambitions that advance UVA, the Board cultivates a robust relationship with the President and ensures successful partnership.

UVA was founded to question convention, to expand understanding and to harness the “useful sciences” as a means to advance society. Two centuries later, as a major research institution, we continue to uphold the ideals that made us unique among universities: our pursuit of discovery through collaboration and cross-disciplinary exploration. With core investments in strengthening our research capabilities, UVA is focusing research on intellectual and social challenges where it can have the most impact. As part of this effort, the University is developing several cross-disciplinary institutes and initiatives that address complex challenges, that provide valuable educational and research opportunities and that generate scholarship and research with a measurable impact. These initiatives align with societal needs and create new knowledge that produces unanticipated technologies and innovative ideas.

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 researchers focus on intellectual and societal challenges that impact the greater good, creating new knowledge that moves the world forward. As part of this pursuit, the University is committed to increasing its research portfolio by more than $500 million annually over the next seven years. One example: the medical center's NIH funding surged from $101MM to $126MM in 2016.

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.

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.

The University was established as an Academical Village where expertise would freely pass between disciplines. Collaboration among all disciplines, schools, centers and campuses remains a central priority. Like many universities, UVA is experiencing generational turnover of faculty. With accomplished professors – many of whom solidified UVA’s academic prestige – nearing retirement, UVA dedicates significant effort to recruiting a diverse new generation of scholars.

Established in 2016, the Strategic Investment Fund supports initiatives that have the potential to transform a critical area of knowledge or operation within the University. Parsed into four areas of focus, it funds research, research infrastructure, academic experience and access and affordability.

When Jefferson founded UVA in 1819, he placed a library, not a chapel, at the center of the institution. It was a radical move, heralding an unwavering commitment to the pursuit of knowledge. In 1815, the newly-formed Library of Congress created the foundation for a great national library by acquiring Jefferson’s personal collection of 6,487 personally-curated volumes. These included books on philosophy, science, literature and other topics not normally viewed as part of a legislative library but which expressed Jefferson’s belief that all subjects are important to leadership of the country. This philosophy remains the rationale behind the collecting policies of today’s Library of Congress and is perfectly reflected in the central role the UVA Library plays in the life of the University.