University of Richmond

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U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

U.S. News rank Category Name #27 National Liberal Arts Colleges

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Summary

University of Richmond is a private institution that was founded in 1830. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,048, 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 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 27. Its tuition and fees are $43,170 (2011-12).

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.

School mission (as provided by the school):

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 enjoy 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 graduates go on to careers or professional and graduate schools of choice. The university's exceptional pre-med/pre-health program helps almost all students completing it gain medical school admission on the first try. The heart of the undergraduate academic experience at the University of Richmond is commitment to the liberal arts. We teach critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, intercultural effectiveness and ethical decision-making, with a global perspective preparing students for success in a changing, increasingly diverse nation. All entering undergraduate students take first-year seminars in the fall and spring that permit exploration of varied interests in small class settings with close faculty contact. More than 30 seminar topics cover everything from bioethics to art history. Some examples: Baseballs, Body Parts and Rosa Parks; What Does the World Think of America; Science Meets Fiction. Jepson School classes investigate leadership from different perspectives: as a position, a process and a relationship among people. Leadership studies fills a critical need in higher education by helping students better understand leadership so that they can become active, thoughtful and effective participants in the world. 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. Bonner Scholars commit to sustained community-engagement and social-justice education for four years. They perform at least ten hours of verifiable community service weekly at a local nonprofit in spring semester of the first year. In return, they receive a scholarship of $2,500 per academic year, renewable for eight semesters, plus up to $5,500 for summer community service. As alumni, they may qualify for student loan reduction up to $2,000. Richmond has 75 direct exchange programs with universities in 30 countries. Richmond makes study abroad financially possible for every student; tuition for a semester abroad is the same as on campus, and financial aid applies. Named by Newsweek in 2007 as the nation's hottest school for international education, Richmond also welcomes students from all over the world. In spring 2011, 185 students from 60 other countries were enrolled. The Carole Weinstein International Center, an award-winning building, opened in fall 2010. 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. First-year programs group students around common spaces to facilitate bonding and programming. Living-learning themes currently focus on international interests, math and science, leadership, and outdoor adventure.

General Information

School type	private, coed college
Year founded	1830
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	semester
Setting	suburban
2010 Endowment	$1,616,548,737

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 33.0 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	more selective
Fall 2010 acceptance rate	33%
Application deadline	January 15
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	January 15

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Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at University of Richmond is 9:1, and the school has 66.7 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; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; and History. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 91.8 percent.

Class sizes
Student-faculty ratio	9:1
4-year graduation rate	81% - High
Five most popular majors for 2010 graduates
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services 33% Social Sciences 19% English Language and Literature/Letters 7% Biological and Biomedical Sciences 6% History 5%

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Student Life

University of Richmond has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,048, with a gender distribution of 45.9 percent male students and 54.1 percent female students. 91.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 9.0 percent of students live off campus. University of Richmond is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.

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Total enrollment	3,618
Student gender distribution
Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority
Collegiate athletic association	NCAA I

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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% - Medium
Health insurance offered	No
Students required to own/lease a computer	No

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Paying for School

At University of Richmond, 47.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $35,002.

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	$43,170 (2011-12)
Room and board	$9,250 (2011-12) - Medium
Financial aid statistics

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* Overview details based on 2010 data