Safety in this school is nonexistent. Teachers and faculty are rude. People were breaking into my dorm room (Fully locked) and the school security and police team just told me to lock my door. Violent sexual assaults happen on my campus (Monroe park campus) and in my dorm building and the police don't even try to send a description of the perpetrator. Multiple repeat offenses have happened this month alone and the police have not arrested anyone. My teachers often skip classes, and I feel that I have paid full tuition to teach myself everything. The school president is greedy and takes the students money to buy cars instead of fixing the school. 0/10 transferring as soon as possible. read more

Ohhh boy do I have a review of my experience at this awful racist university! I came here and lived in the Honors College as required by the program I was in during my freshman year which is my LAST and I'm SO happy about it. The Honors Dorm has the interior of an old mental hospital that was purchased by the school so frankly it's not the best. This year, they assigned two people instead of one person per room which is what the rooms are intended for and work better with. Closets are severely small, so definitely watch what you're bringing with you and make sure to take home your seasonal clothing when you can. Lofted beds, and only one railing that goes a little before halfway of the bed and so that's dangerous and you have the risk of becoming injured if you fall off. We have our own bathrooms, no communal. No kitchenette except in the Honors Lounge and not sure if we're allowed to use it so always eating at Panda Express down the street or at the Shafer Dining Hall. The walls are paper thin and you can hear people laughing loudly, talking and playing music even past the quiet hours into the very early morning. Me and my roommate had to put in 5 noise complaints from our next door neighbor and nothing was done until my parents got involved and emailed the housing director of Honors when room write-ups were finally implemented because it got so bad and I had to purchase noise-cancelling headphones. Due to wearing these at night for months, my ears were always sore in the day, constantly had headaches and sleep deprived often during the week. After all this, people went out of their way to not speak to me and gossip about me. Our neighbors constantly pulled in my roommate to their dorm room to talk about the situation and only say hi to her when walking past us on purpose. Basically, I was outcasted and it's bullshit how I was treated by the others living in this dorm. Moving out was a pain because they started renovations on the other side of the street from the Honors Dorm for a new housing hall and closed off parking near the Honors College so it was unnecessarily hard to park and get my belongings into a vehicle on the side street that is a one way and has limited parking. They also do not have enough carts for everyone when moving in and out so be cautious of that and bring your own wagon to wheel your stuff in. On the positive side, the events that were hosted were fun, educational and I would definitely recommend going to them if you live in this dorm. Moving on to academics, I was a Pre-Clinical Radiation Sciences major, concentrating in radiation therapy. The classes I took for this school cost me my spot due to bad professors and a flipped style lecture class resulting in awful grades. I did extremely well in high school being in the top 100 of a 500 student body class and a Summa Cum Laude recipient so it was a surprise that I struggled at this school when I have always done well since a young age. I think being born female and white also cost my spot because they prioritize minorities and people who identify as transgender or nonbinary. I took General Physics I with Professor Woodworth, a pretty nice guy, but didn't teach well and considering I took AP Physics 1 in high school, I struggled so bad. I took an A+ in high school while this college class I had C. I did 3 tutoring appointments every week, attended PASS sessions and office hours... still barely passing the class. I also took Anatomy with Dr. Cario this past semester and SHE IS AWFUL! She is there to just get paid. Her class is a flipped style lecture where you have to watch videos on your own and learn what you did and go into class to do unnecessary group work. She did not provide help and the way her class is structured is ridiculous. Exams are worth 70% of the grade. Never have I seen a class like hers! She needs to go do something else as a career because half the students dropped her class in April and there were over 100 of us! Campus is way too big and unsafe. Driving through campus is hard because of dumbasses driving in Richmond and people jaywalking constantly out into the road. Honors College is away from pretty much everything so that was great when trying to attend club meetings and going to parties. Sexual assaults, burglaries, and shootings are common and often around the campus so be aware of that. NEVER join AOII if you're wanting to rush a sorority! I had an awful experience with them. Last but not least, when I participated in VCU Acceleration, we talked about white privilege, how minorities don't have the money to get healthcare and culture competency. There is no such thing as white privilege and should be removed from any educational curriculum as it's called economic privilege. With all that, I am not returning to VCU ever again and going to a much better school where I am respected, have more opportunities because again minorities are a priority here, and will actually make friends. Good luck, incoming students read more

Beautiful school. Took a tour with my daughter this past weekend. It is bigger than I expected. Only thing I don't like is the homelessness but that's what you get when the school is in the middle of downtown read more

This is the worst School I could have ever possibly went to. The teachers are Rude, arrogant, and ignorant that tell you all the jobs have been shipped to India. They wait until the last semester before you graduate before they tell you this. Maybe if the school actually taught you something that helped you get a job that wouldn't be the case but it is I have to pay student loans the rest of my life for being scammed by a big University so they can get people from India jobs. This school sucks and I am at war with them! Obviously I would give this school 0/ Zero stars if I could! read more

This review attempts to address VCU Health AKA Medical College of Virginia as part of the complicated and according to some disorganized and inconsistent organization referred to As VCU. MCV/ VCU Health has for legal purposes been identified with the Government of the Commonwealth of VA, and associated Departments and Agencies, including the Medical Board. This makes for difficulties addressing complaints, grievances, and allegations. It allows scope for cronyism, and potentially for graft and corruption involving public funds. A complaint I present as the tip of a Human Rights concerns iceberg is the following: after I made many attempts to have my ethics concerns addressed through proper channels, and after receiving some delayed responses which were not per protocol, I was completely shut down. Stonewalled. I was never apprised of the results of a human rights investigation at VCU Health Hospital, not instigated by me but at my request. Administrators I had spoken with not only failed to follow up, they somehow had all incoming calls from my cell phone # blocked: so the line went dead. With no answer by voicemail. And I am not referring to calls to particular Administrators or departments or portions of the large organization. I mean any calls to any number with any association with VCU, including medical offices. This has been in place for over a year now without explanation. And obviously I cannot call to request an explanation. I am not allowed to call anyone with any association to VCU. Will this review achieve any elucidation or clarification? Does anyone out there reading this YELP review of VCU think this sounds concerning? Perhaps Orwellian or Kafkaesque, from the point of view of those who identify with Academia? My emails to VCU administrators elicit no responses. Perhaps some Citizen Scientists out there might have a go at finding out what is being done to demonstrate respect for Human Rights and protect an endangered person? Thanks for considering. read more

Vcu, Virginia Commonwealth University is an absolute DUMP!!! Went to school here and graduated with an accounting degree. Never got a job doing crap which is understandable these days. After 20 years of making student loan payments my balance has increased by 20,000 dollars, no big deal either. After 20 years I received a new student loan bill for thousands of dollars. This school is desperate and their enrollment must really be down. Anyway after 20 years I received a bill for $3,500 when the statute of limitations is 5 years. They stated that since it's the government the statute of limitations doesn't apply and their is no way to dispute in court. After 10-20 years of being broke and unemployed going to this school and living with my parents that hate me leave it alone, give it a rest. Greedy scumbag ass institution. read more

My Alma mater #ram4life This university has transformed over the years since I attended. The rich history of Richmond VA mixed with the technology, modern architecture, and the diversity of the many cities of Virginia highlight this city university. The Monroe Park Campus is the main Academic campus and the Medical Campus is MCV (Medical College of Virginia) which is located downtown downtown. I have watched it grow from nameless buildings to more high rises than one can name. Many things remain from when I attended 1997-2004 but many new and upcoming buildings and structures dot the landscape of historic row houses and churches and buildings. The diversity of VCU is also a great draw, one of the reasons why I chose it over all others I could have gone. And I don't regret it one bit! If my children decide to go here, I couldn't be more proud! read more

See all

I do not recommend students coming to Virginia Commonwealth University. The professors are very rude and do not care about there own students. Robin C. Lawson was very Rude to my child who attends VCU. Robin C. Lawson does not care about her students if they pass or fail which is very sad. I do not recommend students going to her for advice that's what I did and I was wrong. My Child is transferring to UVA a much better school. The professors don't care if students succeed in life which is sad. Very poor faculties. Terrible experience at VCU. Do not attend here you will regret it!! read more

Virginia Commonwealth University - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

It's a super huge, want to kill yourself pain in the butt to get ANY kind of administrative thing done here. Seriously. Horrible. The library catalog system and the VCU mail system are really out of date, unfortunately. Other than that, the college is great. A state school, it's affordable and still has some great programs. They're always talking about how US News and World Report wants to have their babies, so I'll let you look up the top programs on your own. I'll just say that they're really widespread and diverse. I graduated with Environmental Science and it was great. I was really happy with the program and I felt very prepared to enter the work force when I was done. There are lots of student organizations and events going on. Student Health Services is great as well. The college is ideally located for someone who wants options for restaurants, bars and show venues. read more

I can go into great depth why I am happy to be a Ram, but until I can think of all my hearty reasons I'll keep it short and sweet. With the passing of my mother 2 months ago, I went from 70+ hours a week as a Corporate Training Manager back to VCU Photographer within a week. They were so empathetic to my situation from having to academically withdraw a couple years ago because of financial and family reasons. They helped me access my accounts and pay off previous semesters to get me back in school in time for the fall semester. All within a week. No words really can express my gratitude to this school. Thank you! read more

Large (and continuing to grow rapidly) urban school that manages to maintain an intimate feel. It's also a school that doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. No pretense here. Go, Rams! read more

Jamie B.'s review is dead on. I transferred into the School of Social Work and was told 22 of my credits would not transfer into VCU. However, after a semester in the Social Work school and realizing how awful the program was, I switched majors. Lo and behold, when I did that the new advisor went over my transcript and guess what? Those 22 credits could be transferred into VCU after all. That meant that I wasted a year in classes I didn't need- and the money on classes I didn't need, to meet the pre-requisites to get into the School of Social Work. As Jamie has noted, there aren't enough spaces in classrooms, and you will end up having to take extra semesters to cover this. Despite a 40% increase in tuition between semesters (yes, 40%!) there still doesn't seem to be an adequate number of teachers, classrooms, or seats for required classes. Luckily, I didn't ave to live on campus because the area and housing are horrid, and the rent outrageous- higher than the mortgage payments on my house in Midlothian- a much better area just outside of Richmond. If I were a student, without a car, who had to live on and walk around campus to meet all my needs I would probably not last more than a semester due to safety issues. Check out the VCU police website and you will see the high volume of robberies/assaults that occur on campus. Also, last semester 2 students committed suicide by jumping from their on-campus dormrooms/apartments. Last year, 1 (male) student went missing and has never been found. I would not let my children attend this school, or waste the money on the substandard education. The community college from which I transferred had better staff, higher standards, and better output. I never read textbooks, attend classes simply due to mandatory attendance (lots of professors require attendance because they are so bad you won't want to come on your own), do the menial work assigned, take the easy tests, and coast through with all A's. I should point out, however, that my fellow classmates can be heard to grumble about the difficulty of the classes, but then again, this is VCU and the standards for admission are low. If you want a good, safe, fair education, look elsewhere. Also, most campus class buildings are quite old and disgusting with most being rat, mouse, and cockroach infested. If you have to bring a bag to class, zip it up when you put it on the floor, or you may bring home some unwanted guests as stowaways! read more

The Best University in RVA - so much to do, great restaurants within walking distance with the College atmosphere....Basketball Games - Watch Parties are beyond any experience you can imagine! Don't miss visiting VCU!!! read more

Virginia Commonwealth University - VCU Broad Street Mile...beautiful day at the Street Party! - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I love being a Ram so much! This is an amazing school! Very diverse and the city is beautiful!

Yes the "Real University of Richmond" lol!! I love VCU! Great place to go to school and network! I'm a RAM and loved every bit of my undergrad experience. I learned a lot, met great people and more importantly was able to apply my education / skill set to get a great JOB! And out basketball team is the ish!!! GO RAMS read more

See all

oh VCU, I love that 7 months after graduation YOU STILL HAVEN'T sent out my final transcript to my graduate school! Here I am on a tuesday night with a midterm to study for (and let me spell out midterm VCU, it's not what you'd think: it something where I don't just circle whatever 'feels' most correct, I actually have to regurgitate and conceptualize the information I've learned. I know I know. Mindblowing.) so here I am trying to study for my new midterm/ sign up for spring grad classes and my new school says they haven't received the transcript. screw you vcu. but in all fairness here are some good things about where i spent 4 years of my very impressionable life: + you didn't mind it when I decided to switch majors sophomore year. and you only gave me minimal amounts of crap for changing from painting. + i never had to take a friday class +i never had a class at 8am + i was able to bullshit my way through things i wasn't interested in + the library. you rock +letting me get away with library fines +free breakfast at shafer once a year (even though it made me sick) +professors that understood my hangovers b/c they were partying with me +24 hours art labs +slip n' slide in the middle of shafer court + oh and letting my parents meet in shafer court b/c without that i wouldn't be here writing this review. read more

As a visitor to the school for a sports competition I was extremely disheartened to experience the ill class of a very talented pep band. It is a shame that individuals with so much musical capabilities would scream remarks such as "go for her knees" and "shank her in the back while she's not looking" etc. It's sad that this display had to reflect poorly on VCU athletics. read more

Loved this school. Went here for 3 years as a transfer student, and I would not have had it any other way. The students here are probably the most genuine you'll find at a Virginia state school. So many things to do, I'll always come back! Once a Ram always a Ram! read more

Proud to have both my Undergraduate and Graduate degrees from VCU. A great community of people who are here to learn (well, most are anyway) and are damn proud to be a Ram. Love me some black and gold! read more

Be aware. Do not expect to change your residency status to in-state if you start your education as an out-of-state student. After residing in Virginia for over a year I submitted approx 40 pages of documentation to demonstrate that I am a resident of Virginia. Including copies of my (and my husband's) taxes, drivers license, rental agreement, auto insurance, voters registration card, property tax receipts, and employment records etc. My request was denied with no reason given. Without further information, I was asked to undergo an appeals process with someone who only corresponds via mail. You will not be allowed to speak with anyone in person regarding this issue. If I was denied after turning in all the proper paperwork, you will be denied to. Don't expect that anyone will assist you though this process or explain supplemental information that may be submitted. read more

Surprisingly intimate for such a large institution; you won't get lost in the crowd. Research intensive and relatively affordable, in-state. Take advantage of guarenteed placement into the Medical School and select PhD programs via the undergraduate honors program, if you're going to stick around... read more

Almost impossible to transfer undergrad credits to other schools; the majority of classes are "introductory" or "foundation" and are meaningless to the rest of the academic world. Just based on class experience, the professors I had were very dependent on online modules and online homework, making it feel like an assisted online course. The student body is very "lit" on snapchat, but not very bright in the classroom. Students here just want to have a good time, and don't care about their career. Pretty pathetic since the party scene here stinks. read more

Nice University and grounds. Lots of students walking around that are very nice. I didn't know where to go and someone could tell. They asked if i needed help and pointed me in the right direction. read more

I love Richmond and I love VCU but honestly I'd rather drop out year after year than have to deal with their financial aid office. Seriously, if you dont have the cash to just walk up in there every semester and pay, don't bother. The financial aid service has always sucked since I was a freshman and now VCU is bringing in even more people and I guarantee it will continue to be a congested waste of time and energy. It's sad I am basing an entire review of a university off of something so stupid as a financial aid office but really who wants to go to a great school if they don't give a shit about something as necessary as the money people need to attend. read more

Love this school so much, I never want to leave, but really the community here is awesome everyone is so friendly, sure the food here is a hit or miss usually miss but all in all I still love vcu read more

RAM PRIDE BABY! You don't think I would give my school anything lower than a 5, did you? There are problems with the school, but I will excuse it for now. VCU GO RAMS GO!!!! read more

I cannot say enough good things about VCU! I came to richmond in 2005 as a freshman at vcu. Graduated 5 years later, with a bachelor's and masters degree. I couldnt get enough so i havent left richmond and still visit vcu often for mens basketball games. The area is clean and safe. I love the diverse population of the university. Everyone can find a place to fit in here! read more

I grew up in Richmond when VCU was a small university.VCU has grown from 6,000 to 30,000 + students. I started my college career playing basketball in California before transferring over to VCU in 08-09.I had all my classes in the School of Business. I was more than happy with my choice to transfer. Majority of my teachers were down to earth, nice, and well educated. Dean Grier is a great humble guy. He's really taking the School of Business to new heights with his business experience from Disney.VCU is a well diverse school.VCU has good restaurants on campus to fill your hunger during breaks from class. Most of the buildings are new or renovated.The basketball community is great. Anthony Grant & Shaka Smart brought basketball to new heights. The parking can be a hassle at times because of the city campus. Some of the general education courses are filled to capacity. Overall, my experience at VCU was great. VCU offers a city campus, diversity, and a great education. RamNation! read more

I wish i could give this school less than one star. I don't usually write reviews of things but my experience of VCU is definitely worth mentioning so that other people avoid the problems I went through. I transfered from an out of state private university and they have not let me forget it. Because that school was on a quarter system instead of the semester system I have been continually punished - each class I took there (although we covered the same material) is only worth 2.6 credits instead of 3. A whole .4 credit is the difference between me having to re-take a bunch of 100 level classes and getting the credits I deserve. Also, my degree (history) requires that I take a certain number of each history (african/latin american/middle eastern, european and american) which although I've already done at least 6 credits of both european and american I dont get credit for - partly because of the 2.6 credits and partly because they dont offer the same exact topic here at VCU. This is also true for English credits and Elective credits (I don't get credit for a basic 111 class - Focused Inquiry because the english class i took at my former college didn't quite meet VCU's expectations). Ok, putting all of that aside because apparently VCU thinks the whole situation is my fault, lets get to the real heart of the matter at VCU: the staff. DO NOT TRUST YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR. I'm going to say that again for everyone who doesn't understand: DO NOT TRUST YOUR ACADEMIC ADVISOR. Most of VCU's advisors - the people put in place to guide you through your degree process have no idea what to tell you. I was lied to more than once by several different people about which class I needed to graduate. The financial/housing staff are both useless. No one can tell you where your money is going or where you can get more of it to support yourself. The housing coordinators need to be fired. When I transfered in I put a deposit on a dorm and was promised a place. 3 weeks before classes started I was told that actually there was no dorm for me, and that I would have to find housing off campus because they had underestimated the number of rooms they needed to reserve for transfer and upperclassmen students. But it's ok because the housing at VCU is terrible. Every few years they funnel a bunch of money into building a new dorm - which will go to the first freshman that can get their hands on it - and the old dorms are left to dilapidate and get so bad you wouldnt want your enemy to live there. There are not enough professors to teach the number of classes they need in order to get everyone through their program and VCU doesn't care. They focus on building new buildings to house new students for programs they think are best (there is a new engineering building and a new gym) and leave the others by the wayside. Many students are stuck at VCU for 2 or more extra years because they have to wait in line to get into classes VCU requires but can not facilitate. Meanwhile they raise tuition in order to pay for bogus crap to take in more students that will line their pockets. Everyone says that the arts program goes above and beyond and that the business school is amazing. Thats great but what about the rest of us? Last but not least lets talk about Richmond - the dirtiest and most disgusting place in Virginia you could possibly live. as i've already said if you're not a freshman good luck getting student housing which leaves you trying to find a decent apartment for a reasonable price in a decent neighborhood. Good luck! Most apartments are rat-infested run down party houses. The streets aren't safe and there's a huge crime rate here. Parties are VCU police's main concern and for good reason. Theres a ridiculously high rate of party rape, alcohol poisoning and fights going on at this school. People regularly get harassed by drunken locals, and homeless people. Some even get robbed. Homeless people also regularly fight on street corners that people often have to see/become involved in first hand. There was recently a rise in armed robberies on the corner of Grace and Lombardy - a main corner on hell block - where several people got shot. I have personally seen someone get choked to the point of blacking out without provocation. It's really so ridiculous I can't even describe it in this little review box on yelp. Everyone is going to say your college experience is how you make it. That's true and if you want to have a good one, make it somewhere else. Take your money elsewhere because when it comes down to it, to VCU all you are is a paycheck and you're worth a lot more than unsafe streets, crappy living conditions and no help from any staff. read more

I am so proud to call Virginia Commonwealth University my alma mater! This is the largest college in Virgina, in terms of people enrolled. The university is located within the city and is not your traditional university. For such a large school, it is very intimate on campus. A lot of school pride for VCU, especially after our historic run to the Final Four in 2011. I've met some of the greatest people in this institution, and I'm proud to considered them life-long friends. There is so much talented students at VCU! I know everyone here has a bright future ahead of them. VCU has a lot of top-ranked programs in the nation. For example, the program for nurse anesthesiology is the #1 in the nation. Before, people outside of Virginia had no idea about VCU. Now, we are well known around the nation, not only for our amazing basketball team (with the great Shaka Smart as the head coach), but for our outstanding programs that are competitive with other well known institutions. I am and forever will be proud to be a Ram for life! VCU! Go Rams Go!! read more

The new medical building is awesome. It could have more healthy food and a greater variety when it comes to food on the MCV campus. Outside of 11-2 pm, options are scarce. I ate Wendy's every day. read more

I transferred here my sophomore year. From having gone to school elsewhere I can definitely say that VCU has an incredible diverse student body and a welcoming atmosphere. That coupled with the city and suburbs feel makes this place great. The university is really well known for its Art program being one of the top in the nation. VCU was also the first university to have Homeland security as a major. Another plus of VCU is its proximity to an enormous amount of restaurants. If you want any kind of food they will have a restaurant for it. Try Carytown for a number of trendy shops and restaurants. Downtown has a number of bars, clubs, restaurants and is home to the medical campus. Parking in Richmond is terrible, with ever watching ticket police watch where you park or suffer the consequences. Places to check out include Maymount, Belle Isle, VMFA and the short pump mall. VCU is a great school and is growing more and more. read more

I love VCU, it has 2 campuses (monroe park and MCV). It is a very populated school (32000+ students) but you will not get lost in the crowd. It is a very large university, pretty easy to get into, and very affordable especially if you are living off campus which i am. The only problem is it is in a very sketchy part of downtown richmond, homeless people in monroe park, etc. but the place is swarming with police officers that are intended on keeping you safe. The teachers and professors there grade very fairly, but are very strict to the honor code policy (if you cheat on a test, etc. there will be severe consequences). Not to mention their basketball team made the final four this year, RAMNATION BABY! So if you are going to vcu, and want to make it worth while, get involved in a lot of eca's, stay focused on academics, and trust me, GO TO AS MANY OF THE BASKETBALL GAMES AS YOU CAN, GO RAMS!!!!!!! read more

Well, I will try to review everything, about this school so it is helpful for others. VCU is a fine school - some pros and cons. It is a diverse school with lots of people from all around the world. That makes it interesting and fun, the school is in a good location and has a huge campus, you can easily live off campus, and get your own place or apartment within walking distance from the school, which is even better if you do not like the dorm life. But do NOT, fall prey to the management of such apartments, sometimes you can get cheated with rents, etc so look around, and read your lease!! before signing it. The school's Gym is one of a kind, with good equipments, swimming pool, basketball courts etc, so if your a gym freak, you will like the Gym of this school. Teachers/faculty are okay, but I am not that impressed. They can improve, and focus on student success, instead of rushing through classes, and doing their own thing. If your a student who likes individual attention, this is not the school for you!!! The school does not offer any online classes, which I don't know is a pro or a con but they should start it. Mostly - people I've known have transferred elsewhere, in D.C/Virginia area after completing 02 years at this school. But it all depends, on what you're or will be majoring in for future. If your majoring in Arts, Psychology, Film Studies, VCU has some good programs to offer. The school needs to work on its advising big time, the advising of this school sucks, too many students and very few advisors; they should start individual advising for every student; so students are not wasted by 2/3 semesters!! and yes you will always hear about great parties in VCU, but honestly, usually, parties here are useless, it involves pre-drinking in apartments, and more pre drinking later but if you like good partying do check out the clubs downtown.. My advise to freshman's would be to, find themselves a good group to hang-out with, otherwise, if you do not make friends here in your first year, you are more than likely to be alone for the next three years.. The school has some good places to eat and drink as well. They offer variety of food such as Italian, Arabic, American etc all around monroe park. They also have three bars, & a club (which is not that bright; but okay) Which is nice if you like to eat good food and party as well. The campus also has a Walmart(a bit far) and Kroger mart in Monroe Park. The campus is safe (most of the times), But people/students do get robbed or beaten here after every few weeks/months. So do not roam like a king late at night. Overall, Its not a bad school. read more