This article will cover the University of Virginia (UVA) acceptance rate. We’ll also answer some commonly asked questions, along with what you need to do to get accepted.

The University of Virginia is a highly coveted public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. In the US News and World Report, they are ranked 25 in Top National Universities (tied with U Mich, USC, and NYU), ranked 3 in Top Public Universities (tied with U Mich), and ranked 32 in Best Value Schools.

The school is also most known for its wonderful Business program: Darden. In particular, Finance, Management, and Marketing are strong fields here. Its school of law is also highly ranked, boasting a ranking of 8th in the US News and World Report. In addition, their undergraduate nursing program is one of the best in the nation.

If you’re planning on pursuing the world of Law, want to jumpstart your career in Business or Finance, or simply wish to attend a beautiful university with a fantastic campus, you’ll need to know what it takes.

We’ll be covering exactly that. Specifically, we’ll discuss UVA acceptance rate stats and how hard it is to get accepted.

Now, let’s get started.

Table of Contents

1. Important UVA Acceptance Rate Stats and Data.
   • UVA Acceptance Rate Statistics.
   • UVA Out-of-State Acceptance Rate.
   • UVA Transfer Acceptance Rate.
   • UVA Early Action (EA) Acceptance Rate.
   • UVA Early Decision (ED) Acceptance Rate.
   • UVA Waitlist Acceptance Rate.
2. UVA Frequently Asked Questions.
   • Is UVA Tough to Get Into?
   • What GPA Do You Need to Get Into UVA?
   • What is the Lowest GPA Accepted Into UVA?

Important UVA Acceptance Rate Stats and Data.

UVA Acceptance Rate Statistics.

1. # of Applicants: 56,439
2. # of Students Accepted: 9,190
3. Class of 2027 Acceptance Rate: 16.28%
4. Students Accepted In-State: 4,078
5. Accepted to The College of Arts & Sciences: 6,787
6. Accepted to The School of Engineering and Applied Science: 1,882
7. Accepted to The School of Architecture: 225
8. Accepted to The School of Nursing: 174
9. Accepted to The School of Education: 122.

From here, we can infer that in-state students made up a good number of the accepted class. For UVA, in-state students have a much stronger rate of acceptance compared to those who were applying out-of-state.

Now, that begs the question: is UVA’s in-state acceptance rate good?

Well, that depends on what one would mean by “good.”

If you’re considering the fact that UVA’s in-state acceptance rate is still in the lower parts of double digits, then no. UVA’s in-state acceptance rate isn’t good.

But, outside of a mathematical perspective, that doesn’t mean you should not apply to UVA.

If you live in Virginia, applying for UVA is still a great option despite its low acceptance rate. As a flagship school, UVA will give you priority; so, it’s still best to use this opportunity, no matter how small, to take the chance at getting accepted by sending an application.

Sure, few people get accepted to UVA no matter whether you’re in or out of state. But, it’s worth the chance!

UVA Out-of-State Acceptance Rate.

UVA’s out-of-state acceptance rate is 12.1%.

Now, let’s compare that with the in-state acceptance rate.

	# of Applicants	Accepted	Acceptance Rate
Out-of-State Acceptance Rate	41,201	5013	12.1%
In State Acceptance Rate	15,238	4012	26.3%

1. # of Students Accepted Out-of-State and International: 5,112

Note that the University of Virginia has committed to having 2/3 of the student population being Virginia residents. Thus, the acceptance rate for in-state students is higher than that of out-of-state applicants.

Does that mean you should not apply to the University of Virginia because of its low out-of-state acceptance rate?

No.

Despite having a lower acceptance rate for out-of-state students, applying to UVA is worth it because the long-term ROI is greater than not applying. This is because applications to elite top schools like UVA are bound to have low acceptance rates regardless of being in-state or out-of-state.

We know this sounds far too optimistic; but, bear with us here.

Students are often far too risk-averse and afraid of potential rejection. However, they don’t consider the fact that both applying and not applying is risky. By applying to competitive schools like UVA, you risk the shame of rejection, the loss of money from application fees, and wasting time. But, by not applying, you risk losing the pluripotential outcomes of what could have been: great school, great career prospects, wonderful friends, potential future partners, etc.

So, your best bet is to apply to UVA whilst applying to a large handful of other great institutions that are within its level of competitiveness. This is called “shotgunning” your applications.

In other words: cast a wide net.

UVA Transfer Acceptance Rate.

Good news!

UVA’s transfer acceptance rate is much more positive compared to its first-year counterpart. Though, that’s the case for most college admissions transfer rates.

UVA typically accepts 35-40% of its transfer applicants. Here’s more information about their transfer acceptance rate below.

We tend to admit 35-40% of the transfer applicants who apply to start at UVA in the fall.

“Admission for the spring semester is more competitive. You may apply for the spring semester if you are interested in the College of Arts & Sciences. Typically, we receive over 300 applications for 35 spots in the College of Arts and Sciences.“

UVA Transfer Admissions Official Website

In terms of GPA, here’s what UVA has to say about their average accepted transfer student.

“The average college GPA for an admitted transfer student is 3.5. Students aren’t admitted just based on a GPA, though. Having the proper courses on your transcript is important.“

UVA Transfer Admissions Official Website

If you’re applying as a transfer, you’ll have a major advantage compared to the average student applying as a freshman. In addition, in-state community college students will be at an even greater advantage.

“Nearly half of the 600 transfer students who enroll in the fall started their higher education in the Virginia Community College System.”

UVA Transfer Admissions Official Website

UVA Early Action (EA) Acceptance Rate.

Here are some interesting stats for Early Action applicants to UVA.

	# of Applicants	Accepted	Acceptance Rate
Early Action Applicants	36,000	6,000	16.6%

Notice that the early action acceptance rate only slightly increases the chances of success. If you’re applying to UVA for early action, you’ll find that acceptance rates are still not going to be in your favor.

You’ll still be applying with a low 15-18% acceptance rate. So, does this mean it’s worth it to apply to UVA for early action?

Well, it depends.

On the one hand, you can apply early for a boost in acceptance rate. But, this is assuming that you can produce proper, strong essays that are solid within that time frame.

Don’t rush your essays in order to meet the early action deadline. The slight increase in acceptance rate is NOT worth compromising the quality of your writing.

UVA Early Decision (ED) Acceptance Rate.

Now, for the Early Decision acceptance rate

	# of Applicants	Accepted	Acceptance Rate
Early Decision Applicants	4,243	1,038	24.4%

This changes things. A 24.4% acceptance rate is a significant difference from the 10s. But, that doesn’t mean you should apply early decision for certain. Remember: everyone’s top choice of college is different. So, while it may be wise for one person to apply for early decision, it may be unwise for another to do the same depending on their unique circumstances.

If you’re not sure whether to apply as an early decision candidate to UVA, or you just want to know which schools to apply ED for in general, feel free to contact us for a free consultation. We’ll analyze your academic background and choice of colleges to determine which schools most fit you, and which school you should dedicate early decision.

UVA Waitlist Acceptance Rate.

We imagine everyone already knows what the waitlist acceptance rate is going to look like.

If you guessed it to be low, you guessed right.

	# of Applicants	Accepted	Acceptance Rate
Waitlist Applicants	4924	86	1.74%

Not a lot of applicants get accepted to UVA through the waitlist. But, that’s okay! It’s actually like that all across the board. Most competitive and prestigious schools have a waitlist acceptance rate in the single digits.

You’re not going to have a high chance of acceptance if you’ve been waitlisted. But, don’t hold out hope! There’s still a chance.

But, if you’re wise, you’d have a backup plan for what to do if you’re not accepted off UVA’s waitlist. And, if you need help forming a backup plan post-rejection, feel free to ask us for a free college admissions consulting session. We’ll help you set up the next steps you need to take after getting rejected from your dream school.

UVA Frequently Asked Questions.

Is UVA Tough to Get Into?

Short answer: yes.

The of Virginia is hard to get accepted into. This is especially true because the requirements for getting accepted are so high. And, even then, plenty of highly qualified students get rejected nonetheless. Thus, you’ll need more than grades and test scores: you’ll need fantastic ECs and unique essays to truly secure your position at UVA.

Fortunately for you, many applicants have low-quality essays.

This isn’t an exaggeration, either.

Most students don’t know how to write about their accomplishments, life stories, and beliefs on paper. They have a hard time articulating their ideas.

It’s therefore very much crucial for you to write a fantastic set of essays, and depict your ECs in a way that is powerful enough to persuade admissions officers of your fit to their school.

A good rule of thumb is to adopt a mentality of Fatalism when applying to UVA, or, really, any T20 school for that matter. Being fatalistic isn’t the same as being overly pessimistic. That’s not a proper way of looking at the admissions process.

Instead, to be fatalistic means to do everything you possibly can to apply to as many schools as you can with the maximum input of effort. Then, accepting whatsoever failures may ensue. If you are rejected, you’re emotionally prepared. If you’re accepted, it’s a treat!

Now, with ECs, essay quality, and, Fatalism covered, let’s talk about what GPA it takes to get accepted into UVA.

What GPA Do You Need to Get Into UVA?

It’s no secret that you’ll need a very high GPA to get accepted into UVA. To have a solid shot of acceptance, expect to be at the top percentile of your graduating class.

Here’s a more detailed look into the academic side of what UVA is looking for.

As you can see, there are 3 elements of your academic performance that are most important outside of your UVA essays and letters of recommendation.

1. Class rigor (How many AP/IB courses did you take?)
2. Class rank (Are you at the top percentile of your graduating rank?)
3. Academic GPA (Are your grades mostly As with only a few Bs?)

Now, let’s discuss the GPA part.

Specifically, what GPA is needed to get accepted into UVA? Well, the answer is a bit complex. Here’s what UVA has to say about the minimum GPA requirement for acceptance:

“We don’t have a minimum GPA. We don’t have a minimum SAT score.

As strange as these answers sound, they’re both true. A cumulative GPA only reveals so much; it says little about the difficulty of a student’s course load, or whether a student’s grades have improved over time, or the level of grade inflation (or deflation) in a student’s school. If we established a firm minimum GPA, a point below which no applicant would have any chance of being admitted, we’d miss a fair number of students who might make UVA a better, stronger place.“

UVA Admissions Official Website

While it’s very kind of UVA to judge us on more than just academic performance alone, that doesn’t help us narrow down what kind of GPA we need. So, we’ll try to give the best answer we can.

Most (and we really do mean most) accepted UVA students had a GPA of 4.0. 89.64% of accepted UVA students had a GPA of 4.0. That means straight As. Only a minuscule fraction of the accepted students have a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99.

If you want to have a solid shot at getting accepted into UVA, you want to either have a perfect 4.0 GPA or a GPA above 3.75 that is compensated for with fantastic ECs and compelling essays that absolutely blow out the rest of the competition. And, even if you have a perfect 4.0 GPA, it’s not a guarantee of acceptance. You’ll want to pair your 4.0 with strong ECs and essays too.

What is the Lowest GPA Accepted Into UVA?

There are some students with lower GPAs who can still get accepted into UVA. While they’re very rare, UVA will occasionally make exceptions for certain students despite their very low GPAs.

Here’s their Common Data Set info below for more info.

Based on the data, it appears that the lowest GPA the University of Virginia is willing to accept is a 2.0 GPA. However, the number of accepted students who had a GPA between 2.0 and 2.49 was .03%.

Notice that students who had a GPA between 3.5 and 3.74 only made up 2.39% of accepted students. That means having a GPA below 3.5 would give you a very, very low chance of acceptance at UVA. Nonetheless, exceptions are made for students who are particularly special or unique.

If you are applying to UVA with anything less than a 4.0, we would heavily recommend doing 3 things in order of most to least importance.

1. Collaborating one-on-one with an expert college admissions counselor or editor to write a fantastic set of UVA essays.
2. Having a strong set of extracurriculars, or conducting your own project/extracurricular
3. Increasing your SAT/ACT score.

If you can have a strong set of essays, powerful ECs, and fantastic test scores, you may be able to boost your chances just enough to give UVA the final push in accepting you.

Realistically, everyone’s college admissions acceptance rate to any school is low. It’s just a sign of the times, especially in 2023. That’s why we recommend everyone (yes, everyone) to speak with an experienced college admissions advisor. Our advisors can help with both consulting and advising on your essays to write powerful UVA supplements that significantly increase your acceptance rate. It’s the same strategy we’ve used to help other students get into not just UVA, but NYU, UPenn, Brown, and plenty of other schools.