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Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University, or VCU, is a large, public research university located in downtown Richmond, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1968 as a result of a merger between Richmond Professional Institute and Medical College of Virginia. VCU is one of the Virginia universities rated RU/ H (Research Universities (high research activity) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. It is organized into the following academic divisions:

  • College of Humanities & Sciences
  • L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs
  • School of Allied Health Professions
  • School of Business
  • School of Dentistry
  • School of Education
  • School of Engineering
  • School of Mass Communications
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • School of Pharmacy
  • School of Social Work
  • School of the Arts
  • School of World Studies

Virginia Commonwealth University’s sports teams are nicknamed the Rams. They compete in the NCAA Division I sports.

Overview of Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University is in a medium-sized city, in Richmond, VA. The school is classified as a public college. Students at Virginia Commonwealth University earn degrees up to the Doctoral degree.

Areas of Study

The most common major fields study at the school include design and fine arts.

Virginia Commonwealth University Selectivity

Virginia Commonwealth University does not admit all applicants. The middle range of verbal SAT scores in 2007 was 480 to 580 for students at the school. While math SAT scores among applicants varied, those accepted commonly had scores between 480 and 580.

Faculty

Some professors at Virginia Commonwealth University are awarded tenure, allowing the school to retain good faculty members. Faculty salaries at the school are higher than most.

Student Body

Virginia Commonwealth University, in 2007, had 31,700 students (25,890 full-time equivalent).

Student Life

Athletic teams at the school belong to the Colonial Athletic Association for major sports.

More complete details are provided below.

Contacting Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University
910 W Franklin St
Richmond, VA 23284-2512
General Phone: (804) 828-0100
http://www.vcu.edu/

Virginia Commonwealth University Programs and Degrees (2007)

General CategoryDegreesMost Common Majors [see all]
Business And Management675business management, accounting, marketing, managerial economics, non-profit management, business, taxation, human resources, ...
Liberal Arts632English, history, interdisciplinary studies, sociology, political science, urban studies, foreign language and literature, area studies, ...
Education And Teaching509educational administration, education, health teaching, art education, special ed, school counseling, instructional media design, curriculum and instruction, ...
Therapy And Counseling491psychology, physical therapy, patient counseling, genetic counseling
Medicine404medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, dental clinical sciences, public health, health professions
Science388biology, chemistry, biological and physical sciences, physiology, anatomy, biochemistry, physics, bacteriology, ...
Nursing And Emergency Medicine335registered nursing, various nursing, nurse anesthetist, nursing science
Family And Social Work331social work, public administration, adult development and aging
Security And Law Enforcement308criminal justice and administration, forensic science, criminal justice and safety, security and protective services
Media276mass communication
Design230fashion design, graphic design, illustration, design and applied arts, interior design, design and visual communication
Fine Arts173crafts and folk art, sculpture, painting, fine arts studies, art history and criticism
Nutrition And Exercise Therapy156parks and recreation studies, vocational counseling, occupational therapy
Engineering149mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, engineering, chemical engineering
Computer Science And Engineering130information science, computer and info science, computer engineering
Medical Support And Technology87radiographer, clinical lab tech, dental hygienist
Drama And Performing Arts63drama, dance
Medical Administration59health care administration, pharmacy courses
Music58music performance
Religion And Philosophy43religion, philosophy
Mathematics33mathematics
Photography And Commercial Art29photography
Conservation And Resource Management23environmental studies
Real Estate And Construction Management3real estate

Number of programs and degrees for Virginia Commonwealth University in 2007:

Degree LevelTotal
Awarded
Number of
Programs
Bachelor's degree3,30659
Master's degree1,47861
First-professional degree3573
Doctor's degree19122
Postbaccalaureate certificate17126
Post-master's certificate805
Award of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years21

Student Body

In 2007, Virginia Commonwealth University had a total enrollment of 31,700 students (25,890 full-time equivalent).

Students in the Freshman Class:

GroupPercent
Men43%
Women57%
Full-Time99%
Part-Time1%

Students By Class:

GroupPercent
Undergraduate68%
Graduate28%
First Professional4%

Racial Diversity:
RacePercent
White67%
Black18%
Hispanic3%
Asian8%
American Indian1%
(Foreign Students)4%

Students by Age:

AgePercent
Under 181%
18-1921%
20-2121%
22-2421%
25-2915%
30-347%
35-394%
40-495%
50-643%
65+0%

Incoming (Freshman) Students by Place of Residence:
(From available data sampling)

ResidencePercent
Virginia90%
State unknown2%
Maryland2%
Washington, DC1%
New York1%
Pennsylvania1%
North Carolina1%
New Jersey1%

Virginia Commonwealth University Graduation, Retention, and Transfers

Retention Rates (2007):

GroupReturning From
Previous Year
Full-Time82 %
Part-Time45 %

Virginia Commonwealth University Room and Board (2007)

Virginia Commonwealth University offers campus housing for 4,855 of its 25,890 (full-time) students.

(Please refer to our profile of Richmond, Virginia for details about the area surrounding the campus. Also see our list of other Virginia Colleges).

The school does not offer students a meal plan.

Virginia Commonwealth University Admissions and Selectivity (2007)

Acceptances:

GroupApplicantsAcceptedPercent
Accepted
EnrolledPercent of
Accepted Enrolled
Total15,1639,33262%3,88742%
Men6,1213,90864%1,65542%
Women9,0425,42360%2,23241%

Standardized Test Scores:

Test25th Percentile75th Percetile
SAT Verbal480580
SAT Math480580
ACT Composite1924

Application Requirements:

ItemRequirement
GPArequired
Class Rankrecommended
High School Recordrequired
College Prep Programrequired
Recommendationsrecommended
Formal Demonstration of Competencerequired
Standardized Tests (SAT and/or ACT)required
Percent of Applicants Submitting SAT95%
Percent of Applicants Submitting ACT10%
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)required

Virginia Commonwealth University Expenses and Financial Aid (2007)

Expenses and Financial Aid:

ExpenseAmount
In-state tuition and fees$ 6,196
Out-of-state tuition and fees$ 18,740
Room and board$ 8,162
Room charge$ 4,497
Board (meal plan) charge$ 3,290
Books and supplies$ 2,240
Other expenses$ 2,700

Financial Aid:
Virginia Commonwealth University participates in Federal Title IV financial aid programs. (The school's OPE ID is 373500)

Virginia Commonwealth University Faculty

Virginia Commonwealth University has a tenure system for faculty.

Tenure Status of Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelMenWomen
Tenured472200
Non-tenured, but on tenure track147119
Non-tenured and not on tenure track470471

Salaries for full-time faculty:

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professorcalendar year62$140,97322$127,620
Associate professorcalendar year59$96,48634$96,107
Assistant professorcalendar year43$86,80488$76,458
Instructorcalendar year26$57,709100$59,770
All faculty totalcalendar year190$103,505244$76,970

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Full-Time Faculty (2007):

Full-Time Faculty LevelContract LengthNumber MenAvg Salary MenNumber WomenAvg Salary Women
Professoracademic year99$105,88327$93,977
Associate professoracademic year124$81,24194$77,126
Assistant professoracademic year109$62,882108$58,141
Instructoracademic year35$46,52955$44,424
All faculty totalacademic year367$79,125284$65,175

*: salaries are not displayed where there are fewer than 3 professors in the category.

Virginia Commonwealth University Athletics

Athletic Conferences:

SportConference
BasketballColonial Athletic Association
BaseballColonial Athletic Association
TrackColonial Athletic Association

Students on Athletic Scholarships (2007):

SportMenWomenTotal
Total6891159
Track83240
Basketball131023
Baseball22022
All Other Sports254974

Virginia Commonwealth University Degree Programs (2007)

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT
Accounting
Business Administration and Management, General
Business/Commerce, General
Business/Managerial Economics
Finance and Financial Management Services, Other
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management
Taxation

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
Computer Engineering, General
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Information Science/Studies

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Studies

DESIGN
Design and Applied Arts, Other
Design and Visual Communications, General
Fashion/Apparel Design
Graphic Design
Illustration
Interior Design

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS
Dance, General
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General

EDUCATION AND TEACHING
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
Art Teacher Education
Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
Curriculum and Instruction
Education, General
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
Educational/Instructional Media Design
Health Teacher Education
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
Reading Teacher Education
Special Education and Teaching, General

ENGINEERING
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
Engineering, General
Mechanical Engineering

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK
Adult Development and Aging
Public Administration
Social Work

FINE ARTS
Art History, Criticism and Conservation
Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry
Fine Arts and Art Studies, Other
Painting
Sculpture

LIBERAL ARTS
African-American/Black Studies
Anthropology
Area Studies, Other
Cartography
Creative Writing
English Language and Literature, General
Foreign Languages and Literatures, General
Historic Preservation and Conservation
History, General
Language Interpretation and Translation
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Political Science and Government, General
Social Sciences, Other
Sociology
Urban Studies/Affairs
Women's Studies

MATHEMATICS
Mathematics, General

MEDIA
Mass Communication/Media Studies

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION
Health/Health Care Administration/Management
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Other

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY
Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist
Dental Hygiene/Hygienist
Radiologic Technology/Science - Radiographer

MEDICINE
Dental Clinical Sciences, General (MS, PhD)
Dentistry (DDS, DMD)
Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other
Medicine (MD)
Pharmacy (PharmD [USA], PharmD or BS/BPharm [Canada])
Public Health, General (MPH, DPH)

MUSIC
Music Performance, General

NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE
Nurse Anesthetist
Nursing Science (MS, PhD)
Nursing, Other
Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY
Occupational Therapy/Therapist
Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling/Counselor

PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART
Photography

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Real Estate

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Philosophy
Religion/Religious Studies

SCIENCE
Anatomy
Biochemistry
Bioinformatics
Biological and Physical Sciences
Biology/Biological Sciences, General
Biostatistics
Chemistry, General
Human/Medical Genetics
Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology
Natural Sciences
Pharmacology
Physics, General
Physiology, General

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
Forensic Science and Technology
Security and Protective Services, Other

THERAPY AND COUNSELING
Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling
Genetic Counseling/Counselor
Physical Therapy/Therapist
Psychology, General

Virginia Commonwealth University Highlights

(Details are provided further down on this page.)

What Sets Virginia Commonwealth University Apart:

CategoryTrophy 
Number of students
(vs. all colleges)
Top 1%Virginia Commonwealth University Number of students
Number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 2%Virginia Commonwealth University Number of degree programs
% of degrees in therapy and counseling
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 8%Virginia Commonwealth University % of degrees in therapy and counseling
% of degrees in medicine
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 8%Virginia Commonwealth University % of degrees in medicine
Salaries of full-time faculty
(vs. all colleges)
Top 12%Virginia Commonwealth University Salaries of full-time faculty
Degrees concentrated in limited number of degree programs
(vs. all colleges)
Top 13%Virginia Commonwealth University Degrees concentrated in limited number of degree programs
% of degrees in drama and performing arts
(vs. colleges of similar size)
Top 14%Virginia Commonwealth University % of degrees in drama and performing arts
% of degrees in security and law enforcement
(for colleges of its size and type)
Top 16%Virginia Commonwealth University % of degrees in security and law enforcement
% of degrees in design
(vs. colleges with similar degree levels)
Top 19%Virginia Commonwealth University % of degrees in design
% of degrees in fine arts
(vs. all colleges)
Top 20%Virginia Commonwealth University % of degrees in fine arts
% of degrees in family and social work
(for colleges of its size and type)
Top 20%Virginia Commonwealth University % of degrees in family and social work
Explanation of the Highlights categories

Notable:
Accepts some high school credits
Grants credits for AP courses
Career counseling
Career services
Student employment services
On-campus day care
Option to study abroad
Offers part-time study
On-campus library
Offers campus housing
Tenure system for quality teaching
Has ROTC (army)
Offers athletic scholarships
Has hospital on campus
NCAA athletic conference member

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