Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Virginia Commonwealth University Featured Rankings
- #2 Best Online MBAs Virginia
- #3 Virginia's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #4 Online Master’s in Emergency Management
- #5 Online Master’s in Social Work-MSW
- #5 Best Grad Schools in Virginia 2026
- #5 Best Public Colleges in Virginia
- #5 Best Research Universities in Virginia
- #6 Best Colleges in Virginia 2026
- #8 Online Master’s in Counseling
- #9 Best Online RN-to-BSN
- #13 Best Research Universities with Online Doctorate Programs (PhDs) 2026
- #14 Online Master’s in Special Education
- #14 Online Master’s in Education
- #27 Online MBAs
About Virginia Commonwealth University
According to Wikipedia, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virginia in 1854. In 1968, the Virginia General Assembly merged MCV with the Richmond Professional Institute, founded in 1917, to create Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2022, more than 28,000 students pursued 217 degree and certificate programs through VCU's 11 schools and three colleges. The VCU Health System supports health care education, research, and patient care.
Virginia Commonwealth University's Online Degrees
Graduate Certificate in Real Estate
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Undergraduate Certificate in Fundamentals Of Computing
- Required Credits: 12
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security And Emergency Preparedness
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
MA in Homeland Security And Emergency Preparedness
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching
- Required Credits: 17
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership
- Required Credits: 21
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Reading Specialist
- Required Credits: 24
- Format: Fully online
MS in Sociology
Degree Concentrations
- Digital Sociology
- Required Credits: 36
- Format: Fully online
EdD in Leadership
- Required Credits: 48
- Completion Time: 3 years
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Aging Studies
- Required Credits: 21
- Format: Fully online
DNP in Nurse Anesthesia Practice
- Required Credits: 33
- Format: Fully online
BS in Clinical Laboratory Science
- Required Credits: 40
- Format: Fully online
Graduate Certificate in Professional Counseling
- Required Credits: 15
- Format: Fully online
MS in Rehabilitation And Mental Health Counseling
- Required Credits: 60
- Format: Fully online
MS in Mechanical And Nuclear Engineering
- Required Credits: 30
- Format: Fully online
Virginia Commonwealth University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19,052 | 93% | 85% | 65% | 1140 | 26 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Virginia Commonwealth University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $17,490 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $18,927 |
| 30K - 48K | $18,347 |
| 48K - 75K | $20,373 |
| 75K - 110K | $27,067 |
| 110K+ | $38,273 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Virginia Commonwealth University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Virginia Commonwealth University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $64,442 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Virginia Commonwealth University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 30,974 | 22,932 | 8,042 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Virginia Commonwealth University?
Virginia Commonwealth University is located at 910 W Franklin St, Richmond, VA 23284-2512.
How Safe is Virginia Commonwealth University?
Relative to its enrollment, Virginia Commonwealth University has a violent crime rate of 0.11% and a property crime rate of 0.10%. Richmond has a violent crime rate of 0.35% and a property crime rate of 3.24%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Virginia Commonwealth University Known For?
Virginia Commonwealth University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Social Work
- Medical
- Nursing
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
- Biology
- Criminal Justice
- Business
- Engineering
- Education
- Communications
- Sociology
- History
- Literature
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Mathematics
- Religious Studies
Virginia Commonwealth University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Virginia Commonwealth University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Virginia Commonwealth University ranks #66 in the U.S. and #114 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #72 in the U.S. and #205 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #72 in the U.S. and #150 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #110 in the U.S. and #498 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #135 in the U.S. and #398 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #142 in the U.S. and #476 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #143 in the U.S. and #229 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #150 in the U.S. and #456 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #151 in the U.S. and #710 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #153 in the U.S. and #577 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #157 in the U.S. and #536 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #162 in the U.S. and #585 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #167 in the U.S. and #463 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #170 in the U.S. and #482 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #175 in the U.S. and #679 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #206 in the U.S. and #498 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #232 in the U.S. and #923 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #233 in the U.S. and #1158 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #269 in the U.S. and #869 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #293 in the U.S. and #1283 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #328 in the U.S. and #1314 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesVirginia Commonwealth University ranks #346 in the U.S. and #1517 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWho Are Virginia Commonwealth University's Most Influential Alumni?
Virginia Commonwealth University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Social Work, Nursing, and Medical. Here are some of Virginia Commonwealth University's most famous alumni:
- Tom Robbins
- An American writer .
- Charles Vess
- An American illustrator.
- Arpad Vass
- An American forensic anthropologist.
- David Baldacci
- An American author.
- Marcus Rediker
- An American historian.
- Emmet Gowin
- An American photographer.
- Sheri Reynolds
- An American writer.
- Marilyn Tavenner
- An American administrator.
- Philip B. Meggs
- An American artist.
- Robert Q. Marston
- An American university president, research scientist, medical doctor, National Institutes of Health director.
- Sudhir Srivastava
- A Medical researcher.
- Jack Trammell
- An American politician and academic.
Who Are Virginia Commonwealth University's Most Influential Faculty?
Virginia Commonwealth University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Social Work, Nursing, and Medical. Here are some of Virginia Commonwealth University's most famous faculty:
- Benjamin Cravatt III
- An American professor of chemical biology.
- Najat A. Saliba
- A Lebanese analytical chemist.
- Anna Journey
- An American poet.
- Andrew C. Heath
- A Researcher.
- Nicole Killian
- An American artist.
- Xuejun Wen
- A Chinese bioengineer.
- Natalie Edwards
- A United States Whistleblower and former senior official with the United States Treasury.
- Jeff Capel III
- An American basketball player and coach.
- Nontsikelelo Mutiti
- A Msanii wa zimbabwe.
- Tiffany Roberts
- An American soccer coach and player.
- Kazuaki Takabe
- A Researcher.
- Vicki H. Wysocki
- A Researcher.
