The University of Virginia (UVA), a public university in Charlottesville, Virginia, informally dubbed as one of the “New Ivies” or “Public Ivies,” is rising in popularity. UVA offered admission to 1,282 students through Early Decision this year, from a record-breaking pool of 4,971 applicants.
UVA ACCEPTANCE RATE: EARLY TRENDS
UVA’s early in-state acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was 29.5% while the out-of-state acceptance rate was 21%, both of which are slightly higher than last year’s. UVA is bound by state laws to maintain an undergraduate population of two-thirds in-state students.
The Class of 2029 saw an 11% increase in applicants compared to last year, according to The Cavalier Daily. UVA also deferred 1,221 applicants to the regular decision round. 758 of those deferrals were from Virginia (15.25%) and 463 from out-of-state (9.31%). UVA’s Class of 2028 saw an overall in-state acceptance rate of 25.5% and an overall out-of-state acceptance rate of 13%.
UVA’s current early decision program has only been operating since 2019, after it was discontinued in 2006 due to concerns over accessibility for low-income students.
While schools can no longer consider ethnicity in admissions decisions or report racial demographics during the admissions cycle, we do know that 12.09% of admitted students to the Class of 2029 identified as first-generation college students.
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TTA Top Tip: If UVA is your top choice, applying Early Decision can give you a slight admissions boost — especially if you’re an in-state applicant. However, if you opt for UVA’s binding ED program (they also offer non-binding EA), make sure you’re fully committed and have considered financial aid implications before applying. If you’re deferred, use the extra time to strengthen your application with updated achievements, a letter of continued interest, and strong senior-year grades. The key is to take action. Our expert counselors can help!
At Top Tier Admissions, we are committed to making the college admissions process more transparent. Easy access to clear data helps families understand trends in college admissions to make more informed decisions. This year we’re once again collecting early acceptance rate data at selective schools and providing insight and analysis of our own.
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Are you thinking about applying to the University of Virginia? Curious about admissions trends and strategies to improve your odds? Contact us to discuss our Application Boot Camp® or Private Counseling program— we look forward to supporting you!
- Introducing the New Ivies
- What Are the “Public Ivies?”
- How to Get Into the University of Virginia
- Universities in Virginia
- New Ivies: Class of 2028 Acceptance Rates
- Average GPA and Class Rank at Top Colleges
- Early Application Insights and Predictions: Class of 2029
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