I am not going to tell you whether this university is “good” for your child. No federal data can tell you that, and anyone who promises otherwise is trying to sell you something. What I can do is show you, precisely, what kind of institution it is, how it admits students, what it costs in real life, and what happens to the students who enroll there. With that information in hand, you can decide whether it is worth keeping on your child’s list.
What Kind of School It Is, in One Sentence
Let’s start with the simplest question: what is University of Richmond?
It is a private, nonprofit, four-year college focused on the arts and sciences, classified by Carnegie as highly residential. That last point has a specific meaning: at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students live in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution, and at least 80 out of every 100 attend full time. This is not a school where most students arrive, take classes, and go home. It is a school designed for your child to live there.
Carnegie also places it in its more selective admissions group. That does not yet tell you what percentage it admits—that number comes later, and it is worth seeing before your daughter finishes her list—but it does tell you that this is not an open door.
As for the highest level it reports offering: the federal government records the doctorate. That is an institutional fact, not a promise that the specific field your child is interested in goes that far. If you are looking for a path connecting a bachelor’s degree and graduate study in a particular field, you need to confirm that program by program, not assume it from the school’s label.
And one thing is worth clarifying right away because it sometimes causes confusion: University of Richmond is not registered as a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. It is none of the three. That does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly: what cultural centers currently exist, what student organizations are available, and, better yet, talk to someone who already studies there.
About the location. The campus is in Richmond, Virginia, within that city’s metropolitan area—which does not mean it is right in the urban center. If your child were considering living at home instead of moving, the only honest way to know whether that is feasible is to drive the route on a weekday at the time when classes would be held. The actual travel time is almost never what the map says.
A Medium-Sized Community, Mostly from Outside the State
University of Richmond had 3,776 students enrolled in the most recent official fall count. It is medium-sized: it falls within the range between 1,000 and 4,999, and compared with the other 941 similar selective private schools, it is on the larger side of that group. Of that total, 3,054 study at the undergraduate level and 722 at the graduate level: it is primarily an undergraduate school.
Within that community, some numbers are worth keeping in mind before you picture the environment:
| Category | Figure |
|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino undergraduate students | 10 out of every 100 |
| Students between 25 and 64 years old | 3 out of every 100 |
| Women among undergraduates | 54 out of every 100 |
| First-time students with permanent residence in Virginia | 15 out of every 100 |
Latino students are few there: 10 out of every 100, a little above the midpoint among the 941 similar schools with which it is compared, without reaching the highest quarter. That should not automatically remove the school from your child’s list, but it is worth asking about directly during a visit: what is available for Latino students, whether there is a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish.
And here is something that is sometimes misunderstood: fewer than half of first-time students had permanent residence in Virginia reported. Most come from other states, from other countries, or their residence was not clearly reported—the data do not separate those categories. This does not measure distance, travel, or transportation costs. The cost of attendance does include a general estimate for “other expenses” that could cover some of that, but it does not break out flights or moving costs. If your child would have to live far from home, that is a separate budget you need to build using real numbers, not the government’s generic estimate.
How Academic Life Is Organized
The year at University of Richmond is organized by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The institution reports that it accepts credit for AP exams, but it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience, and in 2023 it reported that it does not enroll high school students in college courses for credit. It also reports that it accepts credit for military training, if that applies to your family.
Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it automatically awards credit for every exam your child takes. It does not say what scores are required or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not subtract those savings from the budget until you have it in hand.
As for degrees: in the most recent year it reports, University of Richmond awarded 804 bachelor’s degrees across 20 families of fields of study. But the offerings are fairly concentrated: business and administration accounted for 361 of those 804 degrees, 45 out of every 100. Compared with the other 942 similar schools, University of Richmond is in the quarter that awards the most degrees overall each year. Those 20 families with a row in the report do not mean 20 equivalent majors or 20 fields with strong offerings: one family groups several programs, and some rows may report zero. What matters is the exact program your child is interested in, not the overall count.
Regarding the relationship between students and instructional staff: the reported ratio is 7 students for every full-time-equivalent faculty member. Compared with 941 similar schools, University of Richmond is in the lowest quarter for that ratio—that is, among the lowest reported ratios. That sounds good, and it probably is, but a low aggregate ratio is not the same as small classes. The number relates institution-wide totals; it does not count seats in a classroom. If this matters to you, ask directly how many students are in first-year classes for the major your child is interested in.
Opportunities the institution reports having, without this certifying access or quality, but simply their reported existence: study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, a complete program that can be taken only in the evenings or on weekends, preparation for teacher certification below the postsecondary level, and state approval of the program for initial teacher certification.
How It Admits Students: Yes Is Not Automatic
University of Richmond reported that it does not have open admissions. It reviews several components before making a decision. Of the nine considerations measured by this count—not including admissions tests or legacy status—it marked six as required: the high school record, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory program the university requires, the personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English proficiency exam for those to whom it applies. It also considers, without requiring, your child’s class rank, work experience, and whether a family member studied there.
That last component—legacy status—is something your child cannot change. If it does not apply in your child’s case, do not spend energy worrying about it. Spend that energy on what is within your child’s control: the essay, the letters, the GPA, and the college-preparatory program.
The application is lengthy. It consists of several required components that take time to assemble, not something that can be completed in a single night. The published application fee is $50.
And how many actually get in? In the most recently reported cycle, University of Richmond received 15,121 first-time applications and offered admission to 3,525. That is 23 out of every 100. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, it is among those that accept the fewest: nine out of ten schools in that group, or more, accepted a higher percentage. On the other side of that calculation are 11,596 applicants who did not receive an offer of admission.
I want to be clear with you here: that number says nothing about your child’s worth. It measures how many places were offered compared with how many people requested them, nothing more. A low percentage does not make a school better, and a high one does not make it worse. What does make sense is for your child’s list to include schools on both sides of this calculation, not only those that accept few applicants.
Now comes something that confuses many families: out of every 100 admitted students, only 24 ended up enrolling at University of Richmond that fall. The other 76 had an offer and did not accept it. Compared with similar schools, that figure is among the most common, neither especially high nor low. Do not read it as a mark against the school: the federal record does not say why each person chose what they chose. Most importantly, what others decided tells you nothing about what your child will be offered. What really matters is waiting for your child’s own letter with the net price—that is what the year will actually cost—and deciding based on that number, not on the behavior of other families.
Regarding standardized tests: the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if your child does not, the application remains active just the same. Of the students who enrolled, only 20 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores. Among them, the middle half scored between 690 and 750 in reading and writing, and between 720 and 780 in mathematics. Those ranges describe students who enrolled and submitted scores—not all applicants, and they do not prove that the score was used to admit anyone. That 690 is not a minimum your child needs to reach, and that 750 is not a guarantee of anything either.
About transfers: of the cohort that entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, only 9 out of every 100 are recorded as having transferred to another school without completing there, within 150% of normal time. Compared with 542 similar schools, University of Richmond is on the low side—most of that group saw more people leave. Separately, in the most recent fall, 79 undergraduate students arrived who entered this school for the first time after studying at another institution. If your child were considering entering as a transfer student, this number does not tell you how many credits would be recognized: ask for that in writing, with the exact list of courses in hand, before making the move.
The Sticker Price and What You Might Actually Pay
At University of Richmond, among 50 first-time, full-time students seeking a credential who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $11,026. Among 43 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $15,818; among 182 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $47,669. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $36,643 between the average for the lowest-income band (50 students) and the average for the highest-income band (182 students). These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $35,263.
Among the 937 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this figure with the same time coverage, this one falls within the least expensive quarter for the lowest-income families after grants and scholarships are subtracted. That does not mean it is inexpensive for your family. It is a data point that carries weight when you build the list of schools to which your child will apply.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time students seeking a credential who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time students seeking a credential who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The aid letter you receive is what matters.
Financial Aid: Who Receives It and Where It Comes From
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at University of Richmond, 76 received some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Compared with 942 similar schools, that share falls within the quarter where grants and scholarships reach fewer students—in other words, there are comparison groups where aid reaches an even higher percentage. Among those who did receive it, the annual average was $40,433.
But here is an important distinction: the federal Pell Grant, which is aid specifically for low-income students, reached only 18 out of every 100 students. That means at least 58 out of every 100 received aid from a source other than Pell—from the university itself, the state, or elsewhere. Receiving aid is not the same as receiving Pell, and the report combines all sources without distinguishing them, so you cannot determine from this what your child would specifically receive.
None of these averages is your offer. A high average among those who received aid does not mean your child’s aid will be that amount. When the letter arrives, what matters is how much your family would have to pay out of pocket. That is the number to compare across schools, not the size of the advertised discount.
About loans: 33 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the most recently reported academic year. Among those who borrowed, each received an average of $6,140 that year. Compared with 942 similar schools, University of Richmond is on the low side: seven out of ten schools in that group, or more, had a higher share of students with loans.
And here I do want to be honest with you, without softening it: this percentage describes other families, not yours. This number does not determine which group your child would fall into—the one that leaves without debt or the one that borrows. The aid letter your child receives in writing determines that. And that average of $6,140 is for a single year and only for federal loans in the student’s name: it does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, debt from private banks, or credit cards. Nor is it the cumulative debt with which someone graduates—that would require adding together all four years, and that number is not in this report.
The institution also reports two mechanisms for managing payment: a prepaid tuition plan and an installment payment plan. If cash flow is a genuine concern for your family, ask the finance office directly about these programs.
Campus Life, Athletics, and the Support Services It Reports
University of Richmond does have institution-controlled housing, and it responded that not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there—that denies a universal requirement; it does not confirm that no program requires it. It also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by plan. IPEDS reports a maximum housing capacity of 2,872 students, on or off campus. The existence of a room does not guarantee that a bed will be available for your child when requested: get the annual rate, the application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child would go on a waiting list in writing.
Regarding ROTC, the institution indicated that an opportunity is available, and the only branch confirmed in writing is the Army. Navy and Air Force were not marked. If your child is interested in a different branch, this report does not confirm it—that does not mean it is impossible; it means you need to ask directly.
Regarding athletics: University of Richmond does compete in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA. That institutional fact does not identify which specific sports are active or the division in which each competes. The institution reports NCAA or NAIA membership for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child plays a sport and is interested in competing there, write directly to the coach for that sport and ask whether there is a place available, which division the team competes in, and whether that sport awards athletic scholarships.
Regarding distance learning: University of Richmond does offer distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, but in the fall count, only 2 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes that way; the other 98 took at least one class in person. The institution also reported that it offers at least one complete program that can be taken through distance education, without confirming the specific level—confirm the exact level and program if this matters to your child.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual expenditures exceeded the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government. It has physical and digital materials, and interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that the specific databases for your child’s major are available: ask about them by the name of the major.
Finally, the institution reports these services and forms of support: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for those who complete their programs, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, and a published web address for disability services. Their being reported does not establish by itself how accessible or effective they are in practice.
What If Your Child Enrolls? What Happened to Previous Cohorts
This is, to me, the part most worth reading carefully, because this is where you can see whether the people who enter University of Richmond manage to finish.
Of the cohort that entered in the fall of 2022 seeking a bachelor’s degree full time—850 students—792 were still enrolled or had already completed their bachelor’s degree one year later: 93 out of every 100. Compared with 930 similar schools, University of Richmond is among those that retain the largest shares of their first-time cohorts; nine out of ten schools in that group, or more, retained an equal or smaller share. This number combines those who remain enrolled with those who have already graduated, without separating the two groups or explaining what happened to the rest.
For graduation, the figure is even stronger: of those who entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree full time, without having previously attended another college, 88 out of every 100 graduated with a degree within six years—701 of 798 students. By four years, the figure was already 82 out of every 100, just 6 points below the six-year figure, suggesting that most do not fall much behind the standard time. Compared with 920 similar schools, it is among those with the highest graduation shares: nine out of ten schools in that group, or more, reported an equal or smaller share.
And there is a third, broader measure, called Outcome Measures, which follows a different cohort for eight years—1,016 undergraduate students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016, including both first-time students and those who already had prior postsecondary experience, attending full time or part time. As of August 2023, 86 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, the figure was 83 out of every 100, just 4 points below the group that did not receive Pell. Compared with 935 similar schools, it is also among those with the highest eight-year completion shares.
Now, the part I have to tell you without softening it: none of these numbers promises anything about your child. They describe what happened to previous cohorts at that school in those specific years. A high graduation percentage is not a guarantee that your child will graduate. What is within your family’s control is making sure your child enters with credits in order, knows from the first semester who the academic advisor is, and knows when registration opens for courses in the major. IPEDS does not decide that. You do.
How to Put All of This Together
You now have, in considerable detail, one of the three pieces you need to decide whether University of Richmond makes sense for your family: what kind of school it is, how it admits students, what it actually costs based on family income, and what has happened to those who enrolled before.
You still need to combine this with what your child wants to study and what your child has already built—the academic record, interests, and the direction your child wants life to take—and with what your family can and is willing to pay once you have the actual financial aid letter in hand, not an average. A plan comes from those three pieces together, not from just one.
If you are just starting to build the list: use selectivity and net price by income band as initial filters, and confirm with your child whether Richmond, Virginia, is a place where they can imagine living for four years. If you have already decided to apply: assemble the required application components—the essay, the letters, and the college-preparatory program—well in advance, because they cannot be put together in a single night. And if you already have the admission letter in hand: do not compare it with what other families did. Wait for the aid letter, read it completely, and decide using the number that actually applies to you.
Source note: the information in this article comes from IPEDS and reports that University of Richmond submits to the United States Department of Education, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, depending on the data point. Best College Aid does not represent University of Richmond or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data and does not replace the admission letter or financial aid letter your family receives.