VCU is ranked a top 100 research university by the National Science Foundation. And they’re home to the nation’s No. 1 public graduate arts school.
As the premier urban, public research university in the state, Virginia Commonwealth University’s mission is to advance knowledge and student success through its commitments to:
- An engaged, learner-centered environment that fosters inquiry, discovery and innovation in a global setting
- Research that expands the boundaries of new knowledge and creative expression and promotes translational applications to improve human health
- Interdisciplinary collaborations that bring new perspectives to complex problems and mobilize creative energies that advance innovation and solve global challenges
- Health care that strives to preserve and restore health for all people, to seek the cause and cure of diseases through groundbreaking research and to educate those who serve humanity
- Diversity that provides a climate of inclusion, a dedication to addressing disparities wherever they exist and an opportunity to explore and create in an environment of trust
- Sustainable university-community partnerships that enhance the educational, economic and cultural vitality of the communities VCU serves in Virginia and around the world
In 1838, VCU was known by another name. They were the Medical College of Hampden-Sydney, later becoming the Medical College of Virginia. It wasn’t until 1968, when they merged with Richmond Professional Institute, that they were given the name Virginia Commonwealth University.