The University of Virginia, originally founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, is a large public research university with deep historical roots. Nicknamed “Mr. Jefferson’s University,” UVA offers a highly competitive and well-regarded undergraduate education that’s in tune with the modern era, and if you’re a resident of Virginia, UVA even sweetens the deal with greatly reduced in-state tuition.
Academically, UVA ranks as the third-best public university in the country and is frequently referred to as one of the “Public Ivies.” In total, 23,721 students called that campus home during the 2015-2016 school year, 16,793 of whom were undergraduates. Sixty-eight percent of UVA students come from Virginia, and 32% come from elsewhere in the country or in the world.
Uniquely, Thomas Jefferson’s original vision for the school included making it a campus of intellectual equality. This means professors at UVA are generally referred to with the less formal titles of “Mr.” or “Ms.” instead of “Dr.”, and the school is singularly committed to a community model that is less stratified than at many colleges and encourages students and faculty to mix and interact outside the classroom. All of this compounds to make studying at the University of Virginia a high honor for many students, making their admissions process very competitive.
UVA received a total of 50,926 applications for the class of 2026, of which 9,503 applicants were accepted, making the overall acceptance rate 18.7%. However, since UVA is a state school, in-state applicants have a higher acceptance rate of 20.6%, while out-of-state applicants have a lower acceptance rate of around 15%, meaning it can be more difficult for an out-of-state student to gain admission to UVA.
Regardless of your location, UVA students generally have excellent academic profiles. For first-year students in Fall 2022, 86% of students ranked in the top tenth of their class and the middle range of standardized test scores was 1400-1540 and 32-35 for the SAT and ACT, respectively.
That being said, UVA has adopted a test-optional policy that continues through at least the 2023 admissions cycle, meaning that those who do not choose to report their standardized test scores will not be at a disadvantage in the application process. However, if your scores do fall within the middle 50% range of those of enrolled students, particularly on the high end of the range, it is generally recommended to submit. If you submit scores that may be considered below their average, you may be at risk of not having your application fully considered. This is because many prestigious schools like UVA use a tool known as the Academic Index to help facilitate their application process by automatically reviewing if a student may qualify for admission.
That being said, UVA wants to see that you have a strong academic background regardless of your test scores, which means a multitude of other factors such as recommendations, course selection, and extracurriculars will paint a better picture of your student profile. Additionally, UVA is looking for applicants who will not only take the best advantage of the resources available to them at UVA but who will also add something special to the campus experience themselves.
If you choose to apply to the University of Virginia, here is everything you need to know about the UVA’s application process.
All applicants to UVA apply using the Common Application and are required to fill out UVA’s supplemental questions, which we’ll go over in detail below. Additionally, there is a $75 application fee, with fee waivers available based on financial need. Applicants have a choice between three admissions timelines: the Early Decision (ED) timeline, the Early Action (EA) timeline, and the Regular Decision (RD) timeline.
Application Type
Application Deadline