University of Virginia

University of Virginia (U.Va. or UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, that was established in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson. It is the state's flagship institution and the location of the Academical Village, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. UVA is well-known for its historic foundations, student-run honour code, and hidden organisations.

Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe were among those who served on the Board of Visitors in its early years. Monroe was the President of the United States at the time of the university's founding, while previous presidents Jefferson and Madison served as the university's first two rectors. Jefferson planned and designed the initial courses of study as well as the original architecture. UVA has been a member of the research-driven Association of American Universities for 117 years, and the journal Science recently recognised its professors for two of the top ten worldwide scientific discoveries in a single year (2015).

The University of Virginia has graduated 55 Rhodes Academics, the eighth-highest number in the United States, and its alumni have founded numerous companies (such as Reddit, CNET, and Space Adventures), which collectively generate more than $1.6 trillion in annual revenue and support 2.3 million jobs. The University of Virginia offers 121 majors throughout its eight undergraduate and three professional divisions. The institution is located on a historic 1,135-acre (1.8 sq mi; 459.3 hectares) core campus that is partly protected by UNESCO. It also manages 562 acres north of the university at North Fork and 2,913 acres southeast of the city at Morven Farm. Furthermore, it administers the College at Wise in Southwest Virginia and, until 1972, it administered George Mason University and the University of Mary Washington in Northern Virginia.