Address: 910 W Franklin St, 23284 Richmond, Virginia, United States
Arts (VCUarts), Health Sciences, Public Affairs
Virginia Commonwealth University took its present form in 1968, when state legislation merged the Medical College of Virginia and the Richmond Professional Institute. The medical college had begun in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden-Sydney College in Richmond, and the roots of the professional institute reach back to the Richmond School of Social Work and Public Health, created in 1917.
The university has two main campuses in Richmond. The Monroe Park Campus, west of downtown, houses most of the general-education facilities, while the MCV Campus is home to the VCU Medical Center and the health sciences schools. Britannica lists degree programmes in business, dentistry, education, health care, pharmacy and social work, and it classes VCU as a research university.
VCU describes itself as having one of the top-ranked public graduate arts schools, VCUarts, and has about 29,000 students. Baruj Benacerraf, who began his medical studies at the Medical College of Virginia in 1942, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1980. Programme details and fees are on the official site.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Industrial Design, Life Sciences, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Located in Virginia’s capital city. Nationally ranked VCU School of the Arts. Major academic medical center (VCU Health). Diverse student body.
Research:
A research university with strengths in health sciences (cancer, cardiology, neuroscience), arts and design, public policy, and engineering. High research activity.
Famous Alumnis:
Patch Adams, Debbie Matenopoulos, Boris Kodjoe, Jay Pharoah
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
9000
Current students***:
30000
Foreign students***:
5%
Cumulative former students***:
200000
Pros
Top-ranked arts school, strong health sciences programs with a major medical center, urban location in a state capital.
Cons
Urban campus with associated challenges, large student population, some programs still building national prominence.
Best For
Students interested in arts, design, health sciences, or public affairs, often valuing an urban university experience with strong professional schools and research opportunities.
Wayne State University in Detroit is a public university with medicine, law, and urban studies and social work.
University of Illinois Chicago is a public university built around health sciences in medicine, nursing and pharmacy and urban planning.
George Mason University in Fairfax is a public university with law, public policy, business and economics.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
Complutense University of Madrid (Spain) is a public university with medicine, sciences and fine arts under one roof.
Autonomous University of Barcelona (Spain) is a public university with arts and humanities, sciences and medicine.
University of Milan (Italy) is a public university with medicine, sciences, law and humanities.
Zhengzhou University (China) is a public university with medicine, engineering, law, economics and arts.
Henan University (China) is a public university with fine arts, medicine and natural sciences.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
How did VCU come into being?
It was formed in 1968 by a merger of the Medical College of Virginia and the Richmond Professional Institute under state legislation.
How old is the medical college?
It opened in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden-Sydney College in Richmond and later became the Medical College of Virginia.
Where are the campuses?
There are two main campuses in Richmond: Monroe Park for most general-education facilities and the MCV Campus for the Medical Center and health sciences schools.
What is VCUarts?
It is the university's school of the arts, which VCU describes as one of the top-ranked public graduate arts schools in the United States.
Which health professions are taught?
Britannica lists VCU programmes in areas such as dentistry, health care, pharmacy and social work. The health sciences schools are based at the MCV Campus.
How many students does VCU have?
About 29,000 students are enrolled, according to recent university and encyclopaedic figures. Check the official fact pages for the exact current number.
Which Nobel laureate is linked to VCU?
Baruj Benacerraf began medical studies at the Medical College of Virginia in 1942 and was awarded the 1980 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Biomedical Sensors, Engineering, Medical Devices, Medical Gases, User experience (UX)
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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