Virginia Commonwealth University - Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture

Introduction
Statistics
Campus Features
Rankings

Locations
Programs

Introduction

Our tenacity. Our love of the city. Our commitment to diversity and access.

These are the things that drive us and make us one of America’s premier research universities. They are what set us apart from your average college. They are how we make it real.

When you’re a Ram, you know you are part of something big.

You’re part of a culture that values hard work, stick-to-it-ness and even — dare we say it? — grit. You are part of a community that loves its city, serves its city, and learns from its city. As a Ram, you also love a good Cinderella story — like the time VCU surprised the country and made it to the NCAA Final Four. These are the success stories that make you cheer, make you proud, and make you #RamProud.

Official VCU mission: Why we’re here

Virginia Commonwealth University and its academic health sciences center serve as one national urban public research institution dedicated to the success and well-being of our students, patients, faculty, staff, and community through:

Real-world learning that furthers civic engagement, inquiry, discovery, and innovation;
Research that expands the boundaries of new knowledge and creative expression and promotes translational applications to improve the quality of human life;
Interdisciplinary collaborations and community partnerships that advance innovation, enhance cultural and economic vitality, and solve society’s most complex challenges;
Health sciences that preserve and restore health for all people, seek the cause and cure of diseases through groundbreaking research, and educate those who serve humanity;
Deeply engrained core values of diversity, inclusion, and equity that provide a safe, trusting, and supportive environment to explore, create, learn and serve.

Statistics

Get to know VCU

We believe discovery and creativity go hand in hand. We believe in creating good ideas that really help people. We believe in the students we educate and the more than 200 programs we offer them. And we believe our grit, our relationship with the city, and our commitment to diversity and access set us apart from your average college. Here are some stats and facts that tell you who we are.

Location: Richmond, Va.

School colors: Black and gold

Mascot: Rodney the Ram

29,417 students enrolled
18:1 student-faculty ratio
2,501 full-time faculty
205,456 alums

Campus Features

At Virginia Commonwealth University, we love that the city is our campus.

You can’t tell where one ends and the other begins, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our two main campuses are located a mile away from each other, both in downtown Richmond.

The Monroe Park Campus is home to most of our undergraduate students and their classes. Our five health sciences schools and top-rated medical center are located on the MCV Campus. Both boast a mashup of old and new architecture and around-the-clock energy that never quits.

Getting around

Thanks to our urban location, your own two legs are often the best way to get from point A to point B. But we make it easy to travel by your mode of choice, whether it’s bike, car or bus.

Students, faculty, and staff can ride any Richmond city bus for free, including the Pulse and Route 5, both of which provide an easy way to travel between VCU’s two campuses. RamSafe, our late-night shuttle service, will pick you up and drop you off anywhere on campus or at nearby locations.

Black and gold…and green

Taking care of the planet and our natural resources is an important part of life at VCU, and we’re following our Climate Action Plan to become carbon-neutral by 2050. In 2021, we received a Gold Rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

From single-stream recycling to our learning garden to a certificate program in sustainable innovation, there are lots of ways to contribute.

Rankings

28 in the top 50

U.S. News and World Report ranks 28 of our graduate programs in their top 50.

Our graduate schools and programs:

1st Fine Arts — Sculpture
1st Nurse Anesthesia
2nd Fine Arts — Printmaking
3rd Fine Arts — Glass
4th Fine Arts
4th Fine Arts — Graphic Design
4th Rehabilitation Counseling
5th Health Care Management
5th Time-based New Media
9th Nursing Administration — Online
12th Fine Arts — Painting/Drawing
15th Occupational Therapy
20th Nuclear Engineering
20th Nursing — Online
20th Pharmacy
20th Physical Therapy
23rd Nursing (undergraduate)*
25th Best Education Schools
25th Social Work
29th Public Management and Leadership
34th Best Nursing Schools: Master's
35th Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice
35th Public Affairs
43rd Clinical Psychology
44th Biostatistics: Doctoral
48th Best Medical Schools — Primary Care

These rankings are based on the most recent U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate School rankings and Best Online Colleges rankings, unless marked with an asterisk.

*Ranking is based on the most recent U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings.

Discovery and creativity go hand in hand.

We’re ranked a top 100 research university by the National Science Foundation. And we’re home to one of the top-ranked public graduate art schools.

What does that mean for you? Research and creativity are two of our greatest strengths, and they will be part of your VCU education, no matter what field you pursue.

So bring us your boldest ideas, your most unconventional ideas, your best ideas. And we'll help make them real.