VCU

With more than $210 million in annual research funding, Virginia Commonwealth University is ranked by the Carnegie Foundation as one of the nation’s top research universities and is one of only three such universities in Virginia. More than 30,000 undergraduate, graduate, professional and doctoral students pursue 195 degree and certificate programs at the university’s two thriving campuses, located in the heart of Richmond. Fifty-six of the university’s programs are unique in Virginia. Twenty-three graduate programs have been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the best of their kind in the nation, with two ranked number one in their discipline.

Fifteen schools and one liberal arts college — involving faculty from multiple disciplines in public policy, biotechnology and health care discoveries — support the university’s research mission.

As part of a long-range strategic plan, VCU has been enhancing its stature as one of the nation’s leading research universities. Strategic projects have included establishing a new School of Engineering, which has been an important factor in attracting the microelectronics industry to the state, and VCU Life Sciences, a comprehensive undergraduate and graduate program involving the academic and medical faculty.

The university also is developing the Virginia BioTechnology Research Park in collaboration with business, civic and government leaders. When it is fully developed, the research park will cover 34 acres in downtown Richmond and employ an estimated 3,000 professional and technical personnel.

The VCU Health System is one of the most comprehensive in the nation. Its physician-faculty, facilities and medical-care programs receive annual recognition from local, regional and national guides and reports on the best healthcare.