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AlmaSpire

Charlottesville, VA · Public · 17,597 undergraduates · suburban

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Highly selective

Add to my college list Review admission

UVA is the public university built around Jefferson’s Lawn, an honor system run through student responsibility, and strong ties across Virginia. Charlottesville gives the university a clear college-town center, while schools in arts and sciences, engineering, architecture, nursing, and education create different academic routes. State residency changes both admission context and price.

Institutional profile

Top tier Strong in career outcomes, and strong in academic standing.
Academic Strong Affordability Strong Career Strong Mobility Steady Experience Solid
Academic standing Strong
Affordability Strong
Career outcomes Strong
Mobility Steady
Student experience Solid
Admission
16.9% admitted

56,528 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
93.9%

$86,863 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets UVA apart

The Lawn makes history physically present

Academic, residential, and ceremonial life still revolves around Jefferson’s central design.

Students carry institutional responsibility

Honor and self-governance place meaningful authority in student hands.

Residency changes the comparison

Virginia and nonresident applicants face different price and selection contexts.

The UVA tradition

A historic campus run through student responsibility

UVA asks students to inherit institutions and then operate them.

Arrival

Learn the Grounds

First-year communities introduce the places and customs that organize campus.

Responsibility

Take charge of an institution

Clubs, councils, honor, publications, and service depend heavily on students.

Continuity

Add to the tradition

The strongest participation changes a community rather than merely joining it.

Can I get in?

16.9% admitted

UVA reads applicants in residency and school context. Strong preparation, sustained contribution, and a clear route into the university matter more than invoking tradition.

Recent applicant pool

56,528

About 17 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 16.9%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1410–1530
13201600
ACT middle 50%32–34
3036

Of admitted students, 50% submitted an SAT, and 16% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA90.5%

Admission by residency

First-year results by applicant group

First-year applicants, all admission rounds · Fall 2025

In-state23% admitted
Nonresident12.5% admitted

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for UVA, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What UVA weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Account for residency

Evaluate admission and cost in the correct Virginia or nonresident context.

02

Select the undergraduate school

Preparation and written direction should fit the school receiving the application.

03

Show responsible leadership

Use evidence of judgment when other people or a shared institution depended on the student.

04

Choose Charlottesville deliberately

The file should fit a residential college town, not merely UVA’s reputation.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

UVA offers Early Action, Early Decision, and Regular Decision. Applicants choose an undergraduate school and should check any program-specific preparation.

Early DecisionNov 1
Early ActionNov 1
Regular DecisionJan 5
Fee and waiver$75 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

ArchitectureAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

BusinessAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

EngineeringAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

NursingAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Virginia residency materially changes tuition. Need-based aid can narrow the gap, so families should compare their calculated price rather than the headline charge.

Published annual cost$42,014
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$22,000
Affordability profileStrong

College funding

Scholarships and financial aid

Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.

University of Virginia-Main Campus publishes one merit award. No separate scholarship application is required; the college uses the admission application.

Automatic consideration Merit scholarship

Open across the university · Merit · Competitive

In the season card

This award, by name

What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.

  • The name of each award 
  • What it pays 
  • The grades and scores it asks for 
  • How to be considered 
  • What to send, and where 
See the full read
Financial aid timing2027-2028 FAFSA deadline: March 1, 2027Financial aid timing2027-2028 CSS Profile deadline: March 1, 2027 AccessUVAUVA states that it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for all eligible undergraduate students, whether Virginia residents or out-of-state students.AccessUVAEligible Virginia families under $100,000 income and $100,000 assets receive grants and scholarships covering at least tuition and required fees; under $50,000 income and $100,000 assets also receive housing and food coverage.Requires in-state tuition eligibility, federal/institutional aid eligibility and pursuit of a first bachelor's degree; coverage is available for up to eight semesters. Plan with your figuresOpen this college’s net price calculator
Open financial aid plan

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at UVA

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Commerce, engineering, government, health, technology, education, and graduate study benefit from national recruiting and a strong Virginia network.

Complete within 8 years93.9%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one97.5%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$86,863

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

Recent graduates1,098
Median earnings—

Economics

Recent graduates492
Median earnings$110,773

Biology, General

Recent graduates299
Median earnings$70,240

Computer and Information Sciences, General

Recent graduates297
Median earnings$142,041

Admits separately

What is campus life like?

UVA beyond the classroom

The Lawn and surrounding Grounds concentrate tradition and daily life. Greek organizations, clubs, athletics, Charlottesville, and student self-governance create a socially active campus.

Housing

First-year areas create an opening cohort

Residence communities connect new students before upper-level housing spreads toward Charlottesville.

Dining

Campus meals lead quickly into town

Dining halls cover the routine while the Corner and Charlottesville add familiar student gathering places.

Clubs & interests

Student leadership has real institutional weight

Organizations, service, publications, debate, arts, entrepreneurship, and athletics are largely student-run.

Social life

Greek life and traditions are prominent

Fraternities and sororities, clubs, teams, concerts, and athletics share a visible social calendar.

Campus rhythm

Tradition is part of the operating system

The Lawn, honor, student councils, and recurring events give campus customs practical force.

17,597 undergraduatesSoutheastsuburban setting99% of first-year students live on campus