Virginia Commonwealth University

Founded in 1838, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public research university in Richmond, Virginia. Being one of the oldest universities in Richmond, VCU has a total enrollment of more than 30,000 students. Monroe Park Campus and MCV Campus are the two main campuses, along with a few local research centers and a satellite campus in Doha, Qatar. The university consists of 20 academic schools and colleges offering 68 undergraduate courses, 70 postgraduate, 46 online certificate courses, and several doctoral and professional programs in fields like Business, Management, Psychology, Physical Education, Nursing, Health Sciences, Marketing, Engineering, Political Science, Mass Communication, Journalism and Social Work. The Neuroscience Research program ranks 32nd, and the Addiction Studies Research program secures the 14th position nationally. Unique, one-of-a-kind programs like Homeland Security, Real Estate, Urban Land Development, and Emergency Preparedness are also available. The admissions are moderately selective, with a high acceptance rate of 87%. Applications are to be filled for intake into Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters by undergraduates and postgraduates through the Common Application and VCU Graduate Online Application. NACES evaluated academic transcripts, LORs, and scores of TOEFL, SAT, ACT, etc., are also to be submitted with an application fee of 70 USD. The average undergraduate tuition fee is 32,742 USD, while that for postgraduate programs is 25,956 USD. Scholarships like Presidential Scholarship and Provost Scholarship, both worth 16,000 USD, and Dean's Scholarship worth 8,000 USD are awarded to academic achievers. On-campus accommodation in 12 residential halls is provided to almost 6000 students who can choose amongst traditional, suite-style, and apartment-style housing options along with facilities like Swipes and Dining Dollars. Two student unions manage over 500 clubs and organizations, and the campus is equipped with one of Virginia's largest research libraries. With an above-average placement rate of 67.4%, the annual median package of VCU graduates is 44,000 USD.