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Summary
University of Richmond is a private institution that was founded in 1830. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,000, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 350 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Richmond's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 28. Its tuition and fees are $44,210 (2012-13).
Virginia’s capital city of Richmond is a historic one, packed with parks, culture, nightlife, and opportunities for outdoor recreation, so students at the university of the same name won’t likely be bored. University of Richmond students can go white water rafting on the nearby James River, or can stop by some of the city’s many events throughout the year, such as the Richmond Folk Festival and the Richmond Greek Festival. There are a handful of popular music venues downtown, as well as scores of restaurants, bars, and clubs. On the University of Richmond campus, one-third of the student body is involved in the Greek system, comprising about 15 fraternities and sororities. If Greek life isn’t your thing, there are more than 250 other student clubs and organizations to check out, too. First-year students must live on campus, and can elect to live in specialty housing programs. The all-male RC Xtreme group is ideal for freshmen who want to go on weekend adventure trips with their floormates, and female students can live and learn through programs like Ready for Moore, a residence hall community aimed at enhancing leadership skills. Campus housing is a popular option for students of all years, as more than 90 percent of undergraduates choose to live in residence halls. The University of Richmond is the only school in the country to use a spider as its unique mascot, and all Spiders athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic 10 Conference, except for football and women’s golf. Those teams are members of the Colonial Athletic Association. Student fans in the Richmond Rowdies spirit club cheer on the athletes—especially the competitive Spider basketball and football teams. The university offers 75 study abroad programs, and more than half of all students take part in a global opportunity before graduation.
The university has many programs for graduate education, including the well-regarded T.C. Williams School of Law. Law students can get involved with the school’s Harry L. Carrico Center for Pro Bono Service or the Jeanette Lipman Family Law Clinic, centers that offer free legal advice to community residents. The centers are among the programs run through UR Downtown, the university’s downtown research and civic engagement arm. Undergraduate and graduate students alike can volunteer, research, and intern at the community centers. Notable alumni of the University of Richmond include Grammy Award-winning record producer Steve Buckingham and Josh Abramson, co-founder of CollegeHumor.com.
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University of Richmond provides a learning environment unlike any other in higher education, combining the traditional liberal arts with law, business, leadership studies and continuing education. The undergraduate experience takes place inside and outside of the classroom, encouraging students to engage as a meaningful part of the community, nation and world. The relatively small number of students enjoys the personal attention of faculty and staff and a wealth of facilities, many entirely new or significantly modernized and expanded during the past five years. Around 90 percent of students live on the campus, which is consistently named one of the most beautiful in the United States. Richmond students achieve a high rate of success after graduation. They are employed in a diverse range of industries and are accepted at some of the best graduate and professional schools in the world. The university's exceptional pre-med/pre-health program helps almost all students completing it gain medical school admission on the first attempt. The Career Development Center works with students beginning their first year at Richmond, helping them create individual plans to narrow down interests and abilities, find internships and ultimately land their first jobs. The heart of the undergraduate academic experience at the University of Richmond is a commitment to the liberal arts. All entering undergraduate students take first-year seminars, limited to just 16 students and taught by full-time faculty, that permit exploration of varied interests. More than 30 seminar topics cover everything from bioethics to art history. Some examples: American Buddha/American Jesus; Deciphering a Meal; Genes and Behavior; Hip-Hop Performances; Space Is Big; Water : Economics, Politics, and Policy; and The Nature of Mathematics. A student-teacher ratio of only 8:1 facilitates interaction between students and faculty. Richmond even provides funding for school-year and summer undergraduate research. The university engages with Richmond-area communities to shape students into civic-minded citizens, as well as to contribute the intellectual capital and skills of faculty, staff, students and alumni to serving local needs. Community-Based Learning combines classroom and community elements, and students act as co-educators, rather than passive learners merely serving the community. The country's largest Bonner Scholars program offers scholarships to some 100 selected students in exchange for verifiable community service during the school year, plus additional support for summer projects. As alumni, they may qualify for student loan reduction up to $2,000. Richmond has 75 direct exchange programs with universities in 30 countries. It makes study abroad financially possible for every student, because tuition for a semester abroad is the same as on campus, and financial aid applies. The university is one of the top producers of Fulbright Scholars, and it welcomes students from all over the world. In 2011, 296 students from 68 other countries were enrolled. The Carole Weinstein International Center, opened in 2010, was built specifically to support internationalizing the curriculum and co-curricular activities across the university. The center contains seven high-tech classrooms, among them a spatial analysis lab and global studio. Living-Learning communities at Richmond offer students with common interests the chance to live together as they share real-world learning experiences. They allow students to connect with their studies on a deeper level, while creating lasting relationships with classmates and faculty. Communities go on local, national and international learning and project-based trips. Themes that seem best to list are. Popular current Living-Learning themes focus on global health, LGBTQ-Ally and presidential politics. |
General Information
| School type | private, coed college |
| Year founded | 1830 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | suburban |
| 2011 Endowment | $1,878,169,000 |
Applying
When applying to University of Richmond, it's important to note the application deadline is January 15, and the early decision deadline is November 15. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 15. The application fee at University of Richmond is $50. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 32.7 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 32.7% |
| Application deadline | January 15 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | January 15 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at University of Richmond is 8:1, and the school has 67.4 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Richmond include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Social Sciences; English Language and Literature/Letters; Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics; and Biological and Biomedical Sciences. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 92.5 percent.
Student Life
University of Richmond has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,000, with a gender distribution of 46.1 percent male students and 53.9 percent female students. At this school, 90.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 10.0 percent of students live off campus. University of Richmond is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at University of Richmond.
| Total enrollment | 3,555 |
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| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
University of Richmond offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, and health service. University of Richmond also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at University of Richmond, 56 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at University of Richmond.
| Students who have cars on campus | 56% |
| Health insurance offered | No |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | No |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At University of Richmond, 45.4 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $36,151.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| Tuition and fees | $44,210 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $9,760 (2012-13) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
