University of Virginia (UVA) Fast Facts

Founded by Thomas Jefferson, the University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville. It’s referred to among insiders as Mr. Jefferson’s University or simply The University. Only first-year students are required to live on campus, and many upperclassmen live in off-campus apartments or fraternity and sorority houses. Greek life is prominent at UVA with a membership that includes approximately 30 percent of the student body. The Cavaliers, known unofficially as Wahoos or ‘Hoos, are members of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference and are well known for their consistently dominant men’s and women’s lacrosse teams.

UVA’s graduate programs include the highly ranked Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, Curry School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Law, and School of Medicine. UVA houses one of the 25 remaining original copies of the Declaration of Independence, called a Dunlap Broadside, in its Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library. The school also has its own distinct lingo: The campus is referred to as the “grounds,” the central quad is the “lawn,” and students are either a first, second, third, or fourth year. Former U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy, national news anchor Katie Couric, and former NFL player Tiki Barber all earned degrees from UVA. Famous writer Edgar Allen Poe was forced to leave the school after losing his tuition money to gambling, but his dorm room on the lawn is still preserved and on display for visitors.