About VCU
Virginia Commonwealth University is the largest university in Virginia and ranks among the top 100 universities in the country in sponsored research. Located on two downtown campuses in Richmond, VCU enrolls nearly 32,000 students in 205 certificate and degree programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Sixty-five of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 15 schools and one college. MCV Hospitals and the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth University compose the VCU Medical Center, one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers.
Location
Administration
Stats and facts
For a complete listing of VCU facts, visit the Center for Institutional Effectiveness Web site.
- Campuses:
- Monroe Park Campus – 88.2 acres
- MCV Campus – 52.4 acres
- Established:
- 1968
- President:
- Dr. Eugene P. Trani
- Students:
- 31,907
- Employees:
- 16,696*
- Alumni:
- 128,788
- Accreditation:
- Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
- Programs:
- Baccalaureate – 62
- Master’s – 69
- Doctorate – 31
- First professional – 3
- Certificate – 40
- Research awards:
- $227 million
- Libraries:
- James Branch Cabell Library
- Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences
- Residence hall capacity:
- 4,705 students
- Athletics:
- 16 varsity sports
- Conference:
- NCAA Division I, Colonial Athletic Association
- Official colors:
- Black and gold
- Mascot:
- Ram
* Combined total for VCU and VCU Health System Information compiled by VCU Center for Institutional Effectiveness.
History
The university takes its founding date of 1838 from the year the Medical College of Virginia was created as the medical department of Hampden-Sydney College. MCV became independent in 1854 and state-affiliated in 1860. VCU’s Monroe Park Campus began in 1917 as the Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health. In 1925, it became the Richmond division of the College of William and Mary; and in 1939, its name was changed to Richmond Professional Institute. It separated from William and Mary in 1962 to become an independent state institution. In 1968, MCV and RPI merged to become Virginia Commonwealth University, the most comprehensive urban university in the state and one of the top research universities in the nation.
