Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) began in 1838 with the Medical Department of Hampden-Sydney College. In 1854 the Medical Department declared its independence from Hampden-Sydney and was renamed Medical College of Virginia. Today, VCU is the largest and fastest growing university in the state of Virginia. There are nearly 3,000 academic staff and a student body just over 32,000 with roughly 23,000 undergraduates and 9,000 postgraduates. VCU spans two campuses and a combined 143 acres in downtown Richmond. Within the next decade, the university plants to add a billion dollars-worth of new campus facilities.

In addition to the main campuses at Monroe Park and the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, VCU has a branch campus in Education City, Qatar. Other learning centers included the School of Pharmacy Inova Campus, the school of Medicine Inova Campus, the School of Social Work-Northern Virginia, the Inger and Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life Sciences, and the VCU Medical Center at Stony Point.

Most undergraduates study at the Monroe Park Campus, at the eastern end of the Fan district, a historic residential area full of Victorian, Edwardian, Colonial, and Craftsman architecture with many cafes, restaurants, and other amenities for students. The Medical College of Virginia campus contains the VCU Medical Center and the schools of dentistry, pharmacy, allied health, nursing, public health, and medicine. The campus is located in the Court End neighborhood of Richmond, close to the state capitol.

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Information Summary

Ranks 17th in Virginia and 438th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	87.6
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$32,041
Admission Success rate	N/A
ACT / SAT 75%ile scores	28 / 1260
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	20 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	85% / 54%
Enrollment Total (all students)	30,697

Academics

Schools and Programs

VCU offers 60 baccalaureate degrees, 67 master

Most Popular Fields of Study

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Admissions

Applications for fall entry must be received each year by the first of May. All incoming students are required to submit SAT or ACT scores and a transcript showing that they have studied 4 unites of English, 3 units of math, 3 units of history, 3 units of science, and 3 units of a foreign language at the secondary level. Incoming students are required to have their own personal computer. VCU currently accepts roughly 2/3 of its applicants, who have an average GPA of around 3.50.

Financial Aid

A number of merit-based scholarships are available from VCU, although they only cover in-state costs. Some scholarships cover up to the entire cost of tuition, fees, room, board, and books. There are also some sports scholarships available through the athletic department.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 2476th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Virginia.

Students

Residential Life

VCU residences have capacity for roughly 5,000 students. Although 77% of first-year students live in the residence halls, most students live off-campus in The Fan, Carver, or Oregon Hill neighborhoods surrounding the university. The Greek system at VCU serves close to a thousand students through 36 residential sororities and fraternities and four separate councils. Students who do live in the dormitories must also participate in a dining plan through the university. There are many dining facilities, including two dining centers (Shafer Court and Larrick) where multiple vegetarian and vegan options and unlimited-serving meals are available.

Demographics

Roughly 60% of the student body is female, with the remaining 40% male. 85% is from the state of Virginia. About 56% of the student body is European American, 17% is African American, 10% is Asian American, 5% is Latino American, and 4% is comprised of international students.

Clubs and Organizations

With such a large student body, there is a huge diversity of over 200 student organizations to meet the interests of new members. Although most universities with multiple campuses have a unified student government association, VCU has two

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Athletics

The athletics department competes in NCAA Division I with 16 varsity teams. They are also members of the Colonial Athletic Association. Traditional rivals of VCU include University of Richmond, Old Dominion University, and George Mason University. The nickname for the athletics department is the Rams, with a mascot, Rodney, to match. The

Alumni

Famous alumni from VCU include novelists Tom Robbins, David Baldacci, and Robert Lanham; actors Zachary Knighton, Stephen Furst, and Boris Kodjoe; athletic stars Sean Marshall, Larry Sanders, Eric Maynor, Scott Sizemore, and Andrew Dykstra; musicians Stefan Lessard, Steve West, and Robbin Thompson; and corporate CEOs Nancy C. Everett of General Motors and John C. Neal of Union Bank and Trust Company.

Faculty

Renowned faculty members include Nobel Prize-winning chemist John B. Fenn, American Academy of Arts and Sciences member Steven Woolf, winner of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Distinguished Civilian Service Award Jennifer Johnson, and cofounder of Aderis Pharmaceuticals Gevork Minaskanian.

Bibliography

About Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.

FAQs. Virginia Commonwealth University. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.

Financing College. Virginia Commonwealth University. Web. 17 Apr. 2011.

Fiske, Edward B. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011. Chicago: Sourcebooks, 2010. Print.

Pope, Loren. Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That

Virginia Commonwealth University