University Of Virginia: Cost, Admission Odds And Payoff
- UVA accepted 17% of applicants, according to federal data. UVA's Common Data Set isn't available here yet.
- Virginia families earning under $100,000 pay no tuition or fees through AccessUVA, and families earning $50,000 or less also get housing and dining covered.
- 19% of students take out federal student loans, and the typical borrower leaves owing $15,000.
Is UVA Worth It? The College Investor Rating
| Family | What They Pay | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | A | |
| Low-Income Families | Average $8,841 a year | A |
| Middle-Income Families | Average $15,635 a year | A |
| High-Income Families, In-State | $41,803 a year | A |
| High-Income Families, Out Of State | $80,829 a year | B |
How Hard Is It To Get Into UVA?
UVA accepted 17% of applicants, according to federal data. UVA's Common Data Set isn't available here yet, so test scores, deadlines and the factors it weighs in admissions aren't available here.
What Will UVA Actually Cost Your Family?
The average in-state UVA student receiving financial aid paid $18,056 a year after grants.
That's against a sticker price of $41,803 a year for in-state students. Out-of-state tuition alone runs $61,457. Virginia families earning under $100,000 pay no tuition or fees through AccessUVA, and families earning $50,000 or less also get housing and dining covered. UVA is one of a growing number of colleges offering free tuition by family income.
| Total Borrowed Over Four Years | $0 |
| Within Federal Student Loan Limits | $0 |
| Beyond Federal Student Loan Limits | $0 |
| Monthly Student Loan Payment, 10-Year Plan | $0 |
| Expected Pay In Your Major | $0 |
Does A UVA Degree Pay Off?
Generally, yes. That's why UVA earns .
UVA students earn a median of $96,468 ten years after starting college, and 92% out-earn a typical high school graduate. 19% take out federal student loans, and the typical borrower leaves owing $15,000, about 16% of one year's pay. Earnings still depend heavily on major: Computer And Information Sciences graduates earned a median of $142,041 four years after graduating, compared with $55,412 for English Language And Literature graduates.
How We Graded UVA
The overall grade weighs payoff, price, graduation and student debt. Price counts what low-income families pay (5 points), what middle-income families pay (10 points) and the sticker price high-income families pay (10 points). Each income grade swaps in that family's price alone.
Grade Checks
Financial Aid Check
UVA's Common Data Set isn't available here yet, so we can't check how it meets financial need.
Financial Health Check
No federal heightened cash monitoring and no closure, merger or financial exigency announcements.
Earnings Floor
92% of students out-earn a typical high school graduate. Schools where most don't are capped at a D.
UVA In The News
We haven't covered UVA in the news yet. These stories help families weighing a school like it.
More For UVA Applicants
Compare UVA With Similar Schools
Sources And Methodology
The College Investor Rating scores every four-year college from 0 to 100 on payoff (30%), price (25%), graduation (20%) and student debt (25%) using U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data. An earnings floor and a financial health check can cap the grade at D, and a financial aid check flags concerns without changing it. Price is judged on its own, without earnings. The grade measures financial return for families, not teaching quality, campus life or a school's mission.
Notes On The Data
- Low-income families earn under $48,000. Middle-income families earn $48,000 to $110,000. Their prices are federal averages for first-time, full-time students who received financial aid.
- High-income families are those who get no grant aid, so they pay the sticker price (cost of attendance). Out-of-state families pay the in-state cost of attendance plus the difference in tuition.
- Paying full price is the share of undergraduates who received no grant aid from any source in 2022-23, from the Education Department's IPEDS survey. The chance of merit aid divides merit scholarship recipients by full-time undergraduates without financial need, from the Common Data Set.
- Earnings by major are medians four years after graduation. Majors with too few graduates for the government to report earnings are left out. Debt by major is median federal student loan debt among borrowers.
- The calculator uses federal net price averages for in-state students and adds the tuition difference for out-of-state students. Borrowing up to the $27,000 federal limit for dependent undergraduates uses the 2026-27 undergraduate rate of 6.52%, and anything above it uses the 9.07% Parent PLUS rate. Parent PLUS loans are capped at $20,000 a year and $65,000 per student. See all federal student loan interest rates. UVA's own net price calculator gives a personal figure, and College Aid Pro can compare costs across schools.
Data years: Earnings follow students who started college in 2011-12 and 2012-13, measured 10 years later. Net price and borrowing rates are for 2024-25. Graduation rates follow students who started in fall 2019. Median debt covers borrowers who left school in fiscal 2024 and 2025. Full-price shares are for 2022-23.
Work at UVA? If a figure looks wrong, send us the source and our editors will review it.
Sources: UVA's Common Data Set isn't available here yet. U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, data updated November 2, 2026. News from The College Investor.