Richmond, Virginia · Public · 4-year · Midsize city
Overview
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public four-year institution based in Richmond, Virginia. The campus sits in a midsize city. Fall 2024 enrollment was 28,464, made up of 21,210 undergraduates and 7,254 graduate students. It holds the Carnegie R1 designation for very high research activity.
Virginia Commonwealth University offers certificates, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and professional doctorates across 167 programs. Its largest programs by number of graduates are Psychology, General, Social Work, and Biology. It awarded 7,324 degrees and certificates in 2024-25. 22 of its programs can be completed entirely online.
85% of full-time first-year students return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17 to 1.
Key figures
28,464
Students enrolled
85%
First-year retention
7,324
Degrees and certificates awarded, 2024-25
167
Programs and majors
17:1
Student-to-faculty ratio
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Delivery modes
CampusOnlineHybrid
Program levels
CertificateBachelorMasterPhDProfessional
Programs and majors offered 167
Graduate counts are degrees and certificates awarded in each program between July 2024 and June 2025. Largest fields are listed first.
Retention is for students who started in fall 2023 and returned in fall 2024.
First-year retention, full-time students
85%
First-year retention, part-time students
50%
Student-to-faculty ratio
17:1
Degrees and certificates awarded
Awards conferred between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Bachelor's degrees
4,783
Master's degrees
1,430
Doctoral degrees (research)
440
Professional doctorates
383
Certificates of 2 to 4 years
77
Postbaccalaureate certificates
175
Post-master's certificates
36
Enrollment
Students, fall 2024
28,464
Undergraduates, fall 2024
21,210
Graduate students, fall 2024
7,254
Full-time, fall 2024
83%
Students over the full 2024-25 year
31,305
Undergraduates, 2024-25
22,937
Graduate students, 2024-25
8,368
Full-time, 2024-25
79%
Size category
20,000 students or more
Student body
Share of all students enrolled during 2024-25. Small groups can round to zero and are not listed.
Women
64%
Men
36%
White
41%
Hispanic or Latino
10%
Black or African American
21%
Asian
12%
Two or more races
7%
International (U.S. nonresident)
4%
Race or ethnicity unknown
4%
Online and flexible learning
Distance education in 2024-25.
Programs that can be completed fully online
22
Online undergraduate programs
Yes
Online graduate programs
Yes
Students studying fully online
4%
Students taking some online courses
59%
Weekend or evening classes
Yes
Campus and services
Setting
Midsize city
Academic calendar
Semester
Carnegie classification
Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Research designation
Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production
Athletic association
NCAA
Athletic conference
Atlantic 10 Conference
President
Dr. Michael Rao
Services and opportunities
Study abroad, ROTC, Undergraduate research, Teacher certification, Academic and career counseling, Student employment services, Job placement for graduates, On-campus day care, Accepts AP credit, Credit for life experience
For veterans and service members
Yellow Ribbon Program, Credit for military training, Dedicated veterans contact, Student veteran organization