University of Richmond

Admission to the University of Richmond is selective, with the institution maintaining a steady standing among national liberal arts colleges. In the 2027 U.S. News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges ranking, Richmond placed 21st. For the class entering in 2025, the university admitted applicants at an acceptance rate of 22.2%, a figure higher than 63% of peer schools in its comparison group of similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. At the same time, the university faces competition when converting admitted students into enrolled cohorts. In 2025, its yield rate was 23.5%, placing it higher than 17% of peer schools. This indicates that most admitted applicants chose other destinations. Prospective applicants should prepare for a selective admissions process, keeping in mind that the institution routinely contends with peer liberal arts colleges to secure its incoming class.

The University of Richmond operates under a test-optional admission policy, meaning standardized test scores are considered if submitted. For the class entering in 2025, submitting test results was relatively uncommon, but applicants who chose to report scores achieved high marks. In 2025, the middle half of enrolled students scored between 33 and 35 on the ACT composite. The institution's median SAT score was 1480, which is higher than 50% of peer schools in its comparison group of similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. High school performance carries significant weight; published distribution data from 2021–2022 indicates that the vast majority of admitted students maintained grade point averages of A-minus or better. To build a competitive application, candidates need predominantly top grades across demanding courses, paired with scores matching these upper ranges if they decide to submit them.

Academic completions at the University of Richmond show moderate concentration in commerce and management, though its highest program rankings sit at the graduate level rather than in its largest undergraduate departments. In 2025, the top three bachelor majors accounted for 41.8% of all undergraduate degrees, led by Business Administration and Management, General, which produced 250 graduates. While business is the most popular undergraduate discipline, undergraduate business stood at 101st in the 2027 U.S. News rankings, indicating that the largest undergraduate major is not among the nationally top-ranked fields. Instead, the school's top-ranked programs are housed in law, where U.S. News ranked Intellectual Property Law 27th in 2026. Despite lower national undergraduate rankings, business and finance alumni experience strong early compensation. According to 2023 earnings data, graduates in Accounting and Related Services earned a median salary of $79,100 one year after graduation, closely followed by Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates at $79,080.

The University of Richmond enrolled a total student body of 3,722 in 2025, primarily composed of undergraduate degree seekers alongside a smaller professional and graduate division. White students constitute the largest demographic group across all degree levels. International and Asian students form distinct communities on campus, with their greatest presence concentrated at the undergraduate level. In the 2025 entering undergraduate cohort, international students numbered 90, making up 10.7% of the first-year class. Asian students accounted for 4.8% of that same entering group. Continuing undergraduates display comparable shares, while international representation tapers off in the graduate programs. For prospective students, these metrics show that while Richmond remains predominantly domestic, international and Asian undergraduates maintain a consistent, measurable presence within each incoming academic class.

The age distribution at the University of Richmond highlights an undergraduate campus centered almost entirely on students of traditional college age. In 2025, students aged 18 to 19 made up 47.8% of all undergraduates, while those aged 20 to 21 comprised 39.8%. The two youngest brackets together make up the overwhelming majority of undergraduate enrollment, showing that campus services, residence life, and student activities revolve around young adults pursuing their first degree immediately after secondary school. Graduate programs also lean young, with 41.3% of graduate students falling between 22 and 24 years of age. For prospective applicants, this profile points to a cohesive student environment where undergraduate life is shared with peers at the same life stage.

International student representation at the University of Richmond is concentrated primarily at the undergraduate level and has expanded in recent years. By 2025, international students comprised 12.3% of the undergraduate student body, placing Richmond higher than 63% of peer schools among similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. In contrast, the graduate division maintains a much smaller international footprint, where international scholars accounted for 4% of graduate enrollment in 2025. Among degree recipients, international students concentrate heavily in analytical and business programs. In 2025, their highest undergraduate concentration was in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, where 34.1% of graduating students were international. Other commercial disciplines like Accounting also attract international representation, while humanities and graduate fields draw far fewer non-resident scholars. For prospective international applicants, these patterns indicate an established undergraduate community, particularly within quantitative social sciences and business, while graduate cohorts remain overwhelmingly domestic.

Families exploring the University of Richmond have several prominent institutions nearby to consider. Located just 5.1 kilometers away, Virginia Commonwealth University is a public institution ranked 156th among National Universities in the 2027 U.S. News rankings. Further east, approximately 50.3 kilometers from campus, William & Mary ranked 52nd on the same National Universities list, offering another historic Virginia option. To the northwest, University of Virginia-Main Campus is situated 61.4 kilometers away and ranked 26th nationally. Each of these nearby options provides a distinct public university setting within the state, offering applicants valuable points of comparison when weighing the private liberal arts experience at Richmond against larger research universities in the surrounding region.

Campus safety data for the University of Richmond shows low levels of serious offenses, with reported incidents consisting primarily of internal substance violations. In 2025, the university registered a crime rate per 1,000 students of 4.5, reflecting a steady decline over the past decade. Over the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the vast majority of recorded infractions involved alcohol policy enforcement. Disciplinary referrals for liquor law violations formed the largest category by a wide margin, totaling 129 incidents across those years, while alcohol arrests remained rare. Property crimes and violent offenses occurred in far smaller numbers; the campus recorded 13 burglaries between 2023 and 2025, alongside occasional reports of dating violence and sexual offenses. For prospective students and families, these safety figures indicate that campus infractions are largely related to residential conduct and underage alcohol regulations rather than widespread violent crime.