Charlottesville and UVA

Just as the University of Virginia and the Accelerated Master’s Program win accolades, so too does the city of Charlottesville. Consistently ranked by Money magazine as one of the "100 Best Places to Live in America," Charlottesville offers the comfort, ease, and friendliness of a small town but with the culture, variety, and activity of a much larger city.

The area is home to major annual film and book festivals, plus countless theater, music, and performance ensembles. Nearby are the museum homes of four U.S. presidents, numerous cultural attractions, and dozens of bookshops, antique stores, coffee shops, and restaurants.

The terrain is perfect for the outdoor enthusiast, with the Blue Ridge Mountains—known for the Skyline Drive, Appalachian Trail, and Blue Ridge Parkway—only a few minutes from Grounds. Charlottesville enjoys a comfortable year-round climate with four distinct seasons, and is home to some of the finest golf courses in the country. In fact, Golf Digest named Albemarle County one of the 36 "Best Golf Counties" in the U.S. Washington, DC, is just two hours to the north and Richmond an hour to the east. Amtrak stops in downtown Charlottesville, and several major airlines serve the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport, which is a quick and easy drive from Darden.

The University of Virginia is distinctive among institutions of higher education. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, the University sustains the ideal of developing, through education, leaders who are well-prepared to help shape the future of the nation. The University of Virginia is a public institution and is also nourished by the strong support of its alumni.

In its 16th annual "America's Best Colleges" issue (August 2003), U.S. News & World Report ranked the University of Virginia the nation's #1 public university (tied with Berkeley) and 21st among all public and private national universities. Only two other public universities are in the top 25: the University of California-Berkeley tied with the University of Virginia at 21st and the University of Michigan at 25th.