2019 Virginia Commonwealth University's Annual Report

We continue to increase our graduation rates — above the national average — while continuing to increase access and raising our student profile.

Universities make our nation stronger by helping its people succeed and we’ve certainly seen this at Virginia Commonwealth University. In this year’s annual report, meet three members of the VCU Class of 2019. Through the lens of these alumni, learn how VCU has transformed to become even more student-centered. Because, at the heart of our great university is every one of our students.

Michael Rao, Ph.D.
President, VCU and VCU Health System

success is
transforming

success is involvement

Students get involved and succeed when they are supported.

Mary Metzger came to VCU with a general idea of what she wanted to do after college. But how to sharpen that vision, let alone achieve it, she says, wasn’t clear. That soon changed with help from her adviser, the Honors College, the University Career Center and the Pre-Accelerator Program. She says it was their support that encouraged her to get more involved in shaping her experiences and achieving her goals. And it was the scholarships that helped her make room in her schedule so she could get involved. Her path to success continues as an illustrator at a stationery company.

300+

The number of endowed scholarships and student aid created through the university’s fundraising campaign
$2M+

Students in the Pre-Accelerator Program raised more than $2 million in investments and revenue across five cohorts
20,468

The number of jobs, internships and experiential learning opportunities available to students through the University Career Center’s Handshake program

VCU gave me opportunities to get involved, set goals. I brought the drive and follow-through to make them happen.

Mary Metzger

Communication arts, Class of 2019

success is experience

Each experience builds the confidence to push ahead.

Tyriq Clay entered VCU through the TRiO program, a federally funded program geared to help low-income and first-generation students achieve academic success. He worked closely with that network and his engineering cohort to connect and gain experience. Tyriq says he learned far more than just equations and calculations; he learned concepts like time management, perseverance and how to analyze results. There are very few obstacles, he says, that he can’t work around after studying them for a bit. That realization gave him the confidence to succeed. His path to success has led him to a position at a major aerospace company.

87.8%

The percentage of TRiO students who said, the federally funded student support program gave them the motivation to succeed
86%

The percentage of VCU students who reported that their experiential learning helped prepare them for the workplace
17%

The percentage of VCU students who moved up two or more income quartiles after they graduated, the highest rate among any university in the mid-Atlantic

College has taught me that opportunities are everywhere, and there are a bunch of doors that seemed locked at first, but were actually open the whole time.

Tyriq Clay

Mechanical engineering, Class of 2019

success is perspective

Perspective creates the space to explore and achieve more.

Drashty Mody chose VCU because of its urban setting and inherent potential for a real-world education. In addition to her academic studies, Drashty worked in a microbial ecology research lab as part of VCU’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, studying bacterial and fungal nitrogen cycling, and traveled to Peru and Ecuador to work in mobile health clinics as part of the student organization MEDLIFE at VCU. Drashty also was a member of LEAD, a four-semester living-learning program for undergraduate students who are dedicated to developing their leadership skills. Her experiences gave her a new perspective on her career goals. Her path to success has led her to graduate school, pursuing research and dentistry.

93%

The percentage of undergraduate research fellowship alumni who went on to graduate or professional school
1:1

The student-to-faculty mentor ratio in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program
1,747

The number of hours of leadership and service by students in LEAD

I wouldn’t have ever recognized this curiosity in me, which has become a very important element of my future career, if I had not had the UROP experience here.

Drashty Mody

Biology/pre-dentistry, Class of 2019

Together we are transforming the VCU experience.

VCU provides a solid pathway for students to achieve their academic and career goals. These initiatives showcase the many ways we are working at VCU and beyond to develop a strong support system for our students.

1.

Refocusing the undergraduate experience

VCU launched REAL (Relevant, Experiential and Applied Learning), a student-centered and faculty-driven effort to ensure that students have at least one high-quality, experiential and career-focused learning opportunity while at VCU. This is spurring new ways to engage students, including the formation of the Health Innovation Consortium that supports students and faculty who have an idea to innovate health care to move seamlessly from concept to commercial viability to mature startup. And thanks to the new major maps planning tool, students and their support network can now strategically map out the college experience and plan careers to maximize their VCU experience and better prepare for life after graduation.

Decreasing student debt

The state approved substantial increases to student financial aid and base operating support — $2.2 million and $6.8 million, respectively — the largest increases provided to any four-year Virginia institution because we serve more in-state students. In turn, we were able to freeze base tuition for undergraduate students. VCU also implemented the RAM Reconnect Retention fund, a completion grant program that covers small, outstanding balances or unmet need so that students can complete their last year on time.

Working with leaders

VCU administrators and faculty regularly travel to Capitol Hill for meetings, including giving testimony before the House Education and Labor Committee on VCU’s student success efforts. VCU also has taken on a leadership role among its peers through the founding and co-leadership of the Virginia Alliance of Public Research and Land-Grant Universities, created to jointly advocate for higher education and research policy at the federal level. For the first time, VCU submitted formal appropriations requests to Congress. Through this work, our capital requests were honored by the state, most notably construction funding of $105 million for the STEM laboratories building.

Facts & Figures

7,773 degrees and certificates awarded

VCU has increased its six-year graduation rate by 37% over a 10-year period. The rate is currently 67.4%, higher than the national average of 59.8% and the national average for public universities, which is 58.9%.

64%

of Hispanic/Latino students graduate in six years, compared to 68% of white students
63%

of African Americans graduate in six years
63%

the six-year graduation rate for Pell Grant-eligible students (who make up about a third of VCU’s undergraduate population)

These rates for Hispanic/Latino and African-American students are significantly higher than the national averages, which are 54% and 40%, respectively.

Students

31,076 students
45% minority
30% underrepresented
86.3% Virginia residents
32.9% first-generation first years
23.1% enrolled in STEM

3.35 - 4.05 high school GPA middle 50%
1080 - 1250 SAT middle 50%

Athletics

300

Student-athletes, average GPA of 3.2
9

A-10 Conference championships

2020 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings

38th

Ethnic diversity
45th

Social mobility
76th

Top public schools

U.S. News Best Graduate Schools rankings, top 50 programs

1st Fine Arts – Sculpture
1st Nurse Anesthesia
2nd Fine Arts
3rd Education – Online
3rd Fine Arts – Glass
4th Rehabilitation Counseling
5th Health Care Management
7th Fine Arts – Graphic Design
7th Fine Arts – Painting/Drawing
9th Fine Arts – Ceramics
10th Fine Arts – Printmaking
17th Occupational Therapy
17th Pharmacy
20th Best Education Schools
20th Nuclear Engineering
20th Physical Therapy
25th Social Work
39th Public Affairs
44th Best Nursing Schools – Doctor of Nursing Practice
48th Engineering – Online

Alumni 199,206 living alumni

Employees

23,401

VCU and VCU Health employees
2,446

Teaching and research faculty, 24% minority

Research

$310 million

in sponsored research awards

$159 million

in federally funded grants

Top 3

Virginia universities
54th

Nationally for federally funded research among public universities
67th

Nationally for all research by public universities

Financials

Total for VCU, VCU Health System and affiliated foundations (2017-18)

$4.3 billion in revenues and capital additions

$3.8 billion in expenditures

Financial aid

$68.8 million in financial aid to students (for FY 2020)

$4.7 million state financial aid allocation for FY 2020 secured

$3 million additional internal financial aid secured

Fundraising

Raised $761+ million

Goal $750 million

$761.1 million raised since the Make It Real Campaign for VCU began in 2012

Virginia Commonwealth University

2018-19 Annual Report

We continue to increase our graduation rates — above the national average — while continuing to increase access and raising our student profile.

success istransforming

success is involvement

300+

$2M+

20,468