Located in Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University was established in 1838. It has an undergraduate student population of 22,163. There are 14 schools and colleges that make up Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). This includes the schools of Medicine, Education, Humanities and Sciences, World Studies, Government and Public Affairs, Mass Communications, Allied Health Professionals, Arts, Business, Engineering, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy and Social Work. VCU also hosts an annual French film festival on its campus.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute, or Virginia Tech, is located in Blacksburg and was founded in 1872. The undergraduate student population is 21,937. The school offers a variety of programs but engineering, forestry, architecture, agriculture and veterinary medicine are among the educational core. Not only is Virginia Tech one of the best colleges in Virginia but it is ranked 71 nationally by "U.S. News & World Report" and 32 for best value for public colleges by "Kiplinger."
The University of Virginia was founded in Charlottesville by founding father Thomas Jefferson in 1819. "U.S. News & World Report" ranks it second among the nation's public universities and it is listed as a World Heritage site. It has an undergraduate population of 13,353. The university is comprised of several schools, including the schools of Law, Medicine, Nursing, Architecture, Continuing and Professional Studies, Engineering and Applied Science, Basic Medical Sciences, McIntire School of Commerce, Curry School of Education, Darden Graduate School of Business, College of Arts and Sciences and its Graduate School and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.
Founded in Williamsburg in 1693 by a royal charter, the College of William and Mary has an undergraduate population of 5,800. Such historical figures as Thomas Jefferson, John Tyler and James Monroe were educated at the College of William and Mary. Although it has "college" in its name, it is also a research university. It is ranked 31 among all universities and sixth among the nation's public universities by "U.S. News & World Report." The university is composed of the Arts and Sciences School, the Mason School of Business, the School of Education and the Law School. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science is also located at the university.
George Mason University is among the newer colleges in Virginia. It was founded in 1957 as a branch of the University of Virginia, achieving independent status in 1972. George Mason is made up of many schools, including the nationally recognized schools of Law and Public Policy as well as Management along with the Colleges of Education and Human Development, Health and Human Services, Humanities and Social Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts, Sciences, the Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering and the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution