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University of Virginia-Main Campus

#1 Colleges With the Biggest Early Decision Advantage
Public Charlottesville, VA · Suburban · Southeast · 100% data
A+ Graduation A+ Earnings A Selectivity
Graduation Rate
95% A+
Most students who enroll finish their degree here
Earnings (10yr)
$86,863 A+
Top 3% nationally — exceptional earning power
Net Price
$21,565 D+
26% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
17% A
Admits roughly 17% — highly selective
Earnings +113% vs avg
Graduation +67% vs avg
Net Price 26% vs avg

Bottom line: A B+ overall grade — strong outcomes across the board. 25.2× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $25.2 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Colleges With the Biggest Early Decision Advantage.

25.2× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $25.2 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $2,089,963.

What The Data Says

  1. A B+ overall — outcomes above the typical U.S. college.

  2. Graduates earn 113% more than the national college median.

  3. A 95% graduation rate — 67% above the national average.

  4. A top feeder school for 8 major employers.

  5. Every $1 invested returns $25.2 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Economic Footprint

Employer Pipelines
8
Top feeder programs

Why University of Virginia Matters

University of Virginia-Main Campus is a public research university in Charlottesville, VA and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by selective admissions, a top-tier research enterprise, and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduates whose earnings land in the top 3% of all U.S. colleges.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Public Research University
Carnegie Class
R1 · Very High Research
Enrollment
17,597
Setting
Suburban
Primary Strengths
Social Sciences, Computer Science & IT, Humanities, Engineering

Why students choose University of Virginia

Strong STEM core
A heavy concentration in technical fields
Top-tier research university
R1 status: undergraduates work alongside leading researchers
Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Exceptional earning outcomes
Graduate earnings in the top 3% of colleges

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

B+
Top 20% overall
A+
Earnings
$86,863 median
B
Value
4.0× net price
D+
Affordability
$21,565/yr net
A+
Graduation
95% graduate
A
Selectivity
17% admit rate
B+
Diversity
0.71 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →
1
Can I Get In?

Admissions

Highly selective
17% admit rate

Highly selective — admits about 17% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 1410–1540. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.

Check your odds →
2
Can I Afford It?

Net price + aid

D+
$21,565/yr net

Students pay about $21,565 a year after grants and scholarships — 26% above the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.

See cost & aid →
3
What Happens After?

Earnings + debt

A+
$86,863 median

Graduates earn a median of $86,863 ten years after enrolling — 113% above the typical college, against $17,500 in median debt.

See outcomes →
4
Does It Change Lives?

Mobility + social capital

1.82 connectedness

Strong cross-class social capital — an economic-connectedness score of 1.82 (Opportunity Insights).

See mobility →

Overview

With an acceptance rate of just 17%, the University of Virginia-Main Campus attracts students who are ready for an academically rigorous environment. It’s a great fit for those interested in a wide range of disciplines, particularly in humanities, social sciences, engineering, business, and computer science. Students here are not just looking for a degree; they’re aiming for a transformative college experience that prepares them for real-world challenges.

After graduation, students typically see solid returns on their investment. With a median earning of $86,863 ten years post-graduation, many graduates find themselves in a stable financial position. The affordable net price of $21,565 means that with careful planning and support, students can graduate with manageable debt, averaging around $17,500. This financial outlook is encouraging, especially for those who may worry about student loans impacting their future.

Ultimately, the practical aspects of attending UVA-Main Campus play a crucial role in student success. With a supportive environment, it’s a place where driven students can thrive, particularly those who are proactive about taking advantage of the resources available. This community fosters not just academic excellence but also personal growth, making it a smart choice for those ready to engage deeply in their education.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective University of Virginia-Main Campus is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into University of Virginia-Main Campus? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

University of Virginia-Main Campus, located in Charlottesville, Virginia, sets a competitive bar: about 17% of applicants get an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,480. The graduation rate is roughly 95%.

Acceptance Rate
17%
Retention Rate
98%
SAT Average
1480
ACT Midpoint
34
SAT Range
1410–1540
ACT Range
32–35
Full-Time Faculty
96%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$17,428
Student–Faculty Ratio
15:1
Diversity Index
0.71
First-Gen Students
16%
Applicants
50,926
Admitted
9,503

Inside the Admissions Office

School-reported Common Data Set · 2024-25

The acceptance rate tells you how hard University of Virginia-Main Campus is to get into. Its Common Data Set tells you what happens once you are admitted: how many students say yes, how many arrived without test scores, and whether applying early tilts the odds. 40% of admitted students go on to enroll here, making it a school many admits weigh against other offers.

Yield Rate
40%
of admits enroll
Submitted SAT
6%
of enrolled freshmen
Early Decision Admit Rate
5.0%
vs 16.8% overall

Applying early pays off here. Of 3 Early Decision applicants, 15 were admitted — a 5.0% admit rate, roughly 29.7× the 16.8% rate for the overall pool. That binding round alone filled about 0% of the entering class (15 of 3,961 first-years). The catch: Early Decision is a commitment you make before you can compare aid offers.

Test-optional, in practice. Only about 6% of enrolled freshmen submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive here, not a long shot.

Source: University of Virginia-Main Campus's Common Data Set, 2024-25 View the source document on collegedata.fyi →

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend University of Virginia-Main Campus? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of Virginia-Main Campus is $59,512, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $21,565. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,174 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $17,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$21,803
Out-of-State
$59,512
Avg Net Price
$21,565
Median Debt
$17,500
Pell Grant Rate
16%
Federal Loan Rate
20%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$8,174
Family Income $30K–$48K
$9,696
Family Income $48K–$75K
$13,283
Family Income $110K+
$35,402

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at University of Virginia-Main Campus — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is University of Virginia-Main Campus Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of Virginia-Main Campus earn a median of $86,863, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

6 Years After Entry
$72,359
8 Years
$80,156
10 Years
$86,863
Debt-to-Earnings
0.2x
Earning > $25K
80%

Earnings Trajectory

$72,359 6yr $80,156 8yr $86,863 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (3,316)
89%
100% (3,316)
89%
100% (3,316)
89%
100% (3,316)
89%

Where Grads Go

University of Virginia-Main Campus is a top feeder for:

Rank among programs feeding each employer.

Top employers of University of Virginia-Main Campus’s MBA graduates, by hires reported in the school’s employment report.

Explore the Career Destination Guide → Source: University of Virginia-Main Campus — Full-Time MBA Employment Report (Class of 2025)

How University Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation95%Earnings 10yr$87KNet Price$22KRetention98%Median Debt$18KPell Grant Rate16%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$8K$0-30K$10K$30-48K$13K$48-75K$35K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is University of Virginia-Main Campus Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, University of Virginia-Main Campus delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $21,565/year ($86,260 total). Graduates earn $86,863 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $2,176,223 in total earnings — a net gain of $2,089,963 (25.2× your investment). The median debt is $17,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 95% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$86,260
Projected 20yr Earnings
$2,176,223
Net Return
$2,089,963
ROI Multiple
25.2×
Cost Per Year
$21,565
Median Debt
$17,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
95%
Explore all University of ROI scenarios

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is University of Virginia-Main Campus? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of Virginia-Main Campus. Its economic connectedness score is 1.82, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.82
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.01
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
8.6%
Support Ratio
1.00
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income
$-510,554,157

Top Programs

The fields University of Virginia-Main Campus awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Top Careers

Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for University of Virginia-Main Campus's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into University of Virginia-Main Campus? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

University of Virginia-Main Campus, located in Charlottesville, Virginia, sets a competitive bar: about 17% of applicants get an offer. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,480. The graduation rate is roughly 95%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend University of Virginia-Main Campus? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of Virginia-Main Campus is $59,512, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $21,565. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $8,174 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $17,500 in federal student loans.

Is University of Virginia-Main Campus Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of Virginia-Main Campus earn a median of $86,863, well above the national average for bachelor's degree holders.

How Connected Is University of Virginia-Main Campus? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at University of Virginia-Main Campus. Its economic connectedness score is 1.82, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Does University of Virginia-Main Campus offer Early Decision, and does it improve admission chances?

Yes. University of Virginia-Main Campus offers a binding Early Decision plan, and it carries a real advantage: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 5%, about 29.7 times the overall 17% acceptance rate, and ED filled roughly 0% of the entering class. Because ED is binding, it makes sense only if University of Virginia-Main Campus is a clear first choice and you can commit before comparing aid offers (2024-25 Common Data Set).

Is University of Virginia-Main Campus really test-optional?

In practice, yes. Only about 6% of enrolled first-year students submitted an SAT or ACT score, so a strong application without test scores is genuinely competitive at University of Virginia-Main Campus (2024-25 Common Data Set).

What percentage of admitted students enroll at University of Virginia-Main Campus?

About 40% of admitted students choose to enroll at University of Virginia-Main Campus — its yield rate (2024-25 Common Data Set). Yield reflects how often a school wins when applicants weigh competing offers.

Compare University of Virginia-Main Campus

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

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