University of Virginia student guide: cost, food, housing & tips

UVA at a glance

17,597

undergrads

17%

of applicants admitted

98%

come back for year 2

95%

graduate

15 : 1

students per teacher

$96,468

typical pay 10 years in

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard.

What a year really costs

After grants and scholarships, by family income. Average: $18,056.

Under $30k $9,479

$30k–$48k $8,203

$48k–$75k $13,391

$75k–$110k $17,879

Over $110k $33,994

Tuition, in state

$22,431

Tuition, out of state

$61,457

Typical debt at graduation

$15,000

19% of students get a Pell Grant

Free stuff most students miss

Getting around

University Transit Service (UTS)

Free campus bus service with multiple routes connecting Grounds, dorms, and parking areas

Health & safety

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Free confidential counseling with walk-in availability and 24/7 crisis phone support

Places

Fralin Museum of Art

Free art museum with exhibitions, permanent collections, and cultural programming

Eat

Dining halls, quick bites and coffee on campus.

13 places

Observatory Hill Dining Room

Dining hall

Two-level all-you-care-to-eat dining hall near first-year dorms with eight stations including halal options

525 McCormick Road

Fresh Food Company

Dining hall

Renovated 35,000 sq ft all-you-care-to-eat dining hall in Newcomb Hall with eight stations

180 McCormick Road

Runk Dining Hall

Dining hall

All-you-care-to-eat dining hall serving Hereford and Gooch/Dillard residents, open for dinner and weekend brunch

265 Hereford Drive

Starbucks at Newcomb Hall

Cafe

Full-service Starbucks on the 2nd floor of Newcomb Hall accepting dining dollars

180 McCormick Road

Cafe

Saxbys at Shannon Library

Cafe

Student-run coffee shop in the renovated Shannon Library with smoothies, grilled cheese, and breakfast items

160 McCormick Road

Greenberry's at Wilsdorf Hall

Cafe

Coffee and pastry shop on the first floor of Wilsdorf Hall in the School of Engineering

395 McCormick Road

Where to live

Residence halls, apartments and help finding a place.

5 places

Alderman Road Hall-Style Residences

First year housing

Traditional hall-style dorms on Alderman Road for first-year students with shared bathrooms

Alderman Road

Alderman Road Suite-Style Residences

First year housing

Suite-style first-year housing on Alderman Road with shared living spaces and semi-private bathrooms

Alderman Road

McCormick Road Residences

First year housing

Hall-style first-year dorms on McCormick Road near central Grounds and dining

McCormick Road

Gooch/Dillard Suite-Style Residences

Upper year housing

Suite-style upper-year housing with shared living spaces and semi-private bathrooms

Gooch Drive

Lambeth Field Apartments

Upper year housing

Apartment-style upper-year housing with full kitchens and independent living

Lambeth Field

Get around

Shuttles, parking and accessible rides.

3 ways

University Transit Service (UTS)

Transit

Free campus bus service with multiple routes connecting Grounds, dorms, and parking areas

Charlottesville Area Transit (CAT)

Transit

Free city bus system connecting UVA Grounds to downtown Charlottesville and surrounding areas

Parking

UVA Parking & Transportation

Parking

Manages campus parking permits, visitor parking, and bicycle registration

1101 Millmont Street

Majors that pay most at UVA

Typical pay 4 years after graduating. Top 6 of 39 bachelor's majors with published pay.

Computer Engineering $148,175

Systems Engineering $144,830

Computer Science $142,041

Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods $139,095

Economics $110,773

Public Administration and Social Service Professions $109,851

Source: College Scorecard, field-of-study data.

Your UVA checklist

5 things worth doing early

Save campus police in your phone (434) 924-7166, 24/7.
Get a parking permit or skip it and ride the free bus.
Visit UVA Career Center early, not the week of the career fair.
File next year's FAFSA Opens October 1. Questions: (434) 924-4141.
Know where counseling is Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

When you need help

UVA Police Department (434) 924-7166 Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) (434) 243-5150 Student Health and Wellness (434) 924-5362 UVA OneStop (434) 924-4141

5 things UVA freshmen figure out too late

Watch the video

1 Two C-minuses earn an academic warning
In the College, full-time students are in good standing if, among other things, they have "earned no more than one final grade of C- or below." "Students who do not meet standards for Good Academic Standing in a fall or spring term incur academic warning." A high semester GPA does not cancel a second C-minus.
UVA Undergraduate Record — College academic rules
2 Appeal a grade, and it can go down
"Grade appeals may only relate to the process of how the final grade was computed and not the quality of a student's work." And: "Appeals of the grading process may result in a lower grade being awarded."
UVA Undergraduate Record — College academic rules
3 Dual enrollment will not cover writing
"Credit from dual enrollment cannot satisfy the First Writing Requirement." Test credit is different: "Equivalent transfer and test credit earned before matriculating to UVA can satisfy the First Writing Requirement." Dual enrollment also "cannot satisfy the World Languages Requirement."
UVA Undergraduate Record — College academic rules
4 Admit it before anyone suspects
"Students who believe they may have committed an Honor offense can admit to that offense and make amends while remaining in the Community of Trust by filing a CR." But: "A CR can only be filed before a student has any reason to believe that they may be under suspicion for committing the offense."
UVA Undergraduate Record — the Honor System
5 Record the lecture — Gus makes the notes, flashcards and quiz
Gus is an AI college companion built around your actual classes. Record a lecture and it writes the notes, pulls out the key topics, builds a flashcard deck, and makes a practice quiz from what was actually said. The flashcards come back on a spaced-review schedule, so the thing you missed shows up again right before you would have forgotten it. It is free to try.
Try Gus free

One more thing

You can be picked for an Honor panel

"In 2023, a standardized Honor Hearing panel composition was created to include seven randomly selected students and five Honor Committee representatives." Ignoring the summons "is considered a breach of the University Standards of Conduct".

UVA Undergraduate Record — the Honor System

Honor reaches two years past graduation

Students who have left for any reason, including graduation, remain subject to the Honor System "so long as a case is reported within two years from the date of the alleged offense."

UVA Undergraduate Record — the Honor System