Virginia Commonwealth University

Overview

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university located in the city of Richmond in Virginia. VCU is known as one of Virginia's leading research universities and ranks highly among public colleges and universities in the United States.

VCU currently offers over 230 programs for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs, along with professional and certificate courses. Popular programs at the university include biology, psychology, and criminal justice. The university is also known for the strength of its programs in fine arts, nurse anesthesia, nuclear engineering, occupational therapy, and pharmacy, with these programs placing high in national rankings. Students at VCU can also pursue continuing education courses in fields such as paralegal studies and hospitality. In addition to on-campus programs, the university offers fully online and hybrid courses and programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctorate levels.

Aside from its strong programs in fine arts and health sciences, VCU has gained recognition for the quality and productivity of its research. The university's research strengths include neuroscience, substance abuse and addiction, the human microbiome, and nanoscience. The university has also ranked nationally for its research in addiction studies and neuroscience, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Students at VCU can participate in research at the undergraduate and graduate levels and receive entrepreneurial support through the Venture Creation University. To support research activities, the university has established various institutional core laboratories and research centers and institutes. These focus on research in specialized fields, including environmental studies, psychiatric and behavioral genetics, and river ecology.

VCU traces its beginnings to the Medical College of Hampden-Sydney, which was established in Richmond in 1838. This college became the Medical College of Virginia in 1854 and was merged with the Richmond Professional Institute in 1968, forming the Virginia Commonwealth University. Over the years, the university has gained recognition as an educational pioneer in Virginia, being the first school of social work in the Southern US and doing the first organ transplants in Virginia. VCU is also the first Virginia university to receive major funding from the National Institutes of Health for translational research.

Today, VCU maintains two campuses in Virginia: the Monroe Park Campus and the MCV Campus. The MCV Campus is also home to the VCU Medical Center, a Level I trauma center that's considered as one of the top hospitals in Virginia. Aside from its campuses in the state, VCU also operates the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, which offers degrees in fine arts and art history.

You can also learn more about the educational performance of Virginia Commonwealth University in our ranking of US universities & colleges.