Coordinates: 38°02′06″N 78°30′18″W / 38.035°N 78.505°W / 38.035; -78.505

The University of Virginia (often abbreviated as UVA or Virginia) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was conceived and designed by U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, and established in 1819. UVA's initial Board of Visitors included former Presidents of the United States Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. Monroe owned the initial site of the University, which was mostly farmland. His law office and farmhouse are now the site of Brown College at Monroe Hill, a residential college at UVA.

UVA is one of the eight original Public Ivy universities, and it is the only university campus in the United States that is designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. In the 2013 edition of U.S. News and World Report's National University Rankings, UVA was the 2nd highest ranked public university and 24th overall. Internationally, UVA ranked 126th overall in the QS World University Rankings.

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