Tuition, Cost & Aid

With all of the great education that I am receiving from this institution, I have no doubt that I am definitely receiving my money's worth in that department. With that said, VCU could have a much improved dining plan, and selection, and the campus could be a little more closed off, and cleaner. I can not complain though.

For a public university, VCU's tuition is very reasonable. Take into account the kind of extensive research facilities available to VCU students and the tuition seems like an even bigger deal. If anything though, the dining hall food is um, somewhat under par.

Welcome to college, and loans, loans, and more loans. College is not cheap, but wouldn't you want to be paying for a good education? You are here. Plus, in state tuition isn't very expensive here. The really expensive thing is the dining plans. Something that is NOT optional if you live in the dorms.

One of the reasons why I chose to come here was because of the in-state tuition. With that said, it's not terribly expensive for a public school, and your bill includes activities that help the school help the students (for example, you can get the flu shot or visit the nurse's office for free at Student Health).

VCU School of the Arts is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as both the 1st public college art program and the 4th overall in the United States. Since being here, I certainly see why. However, it is still one of the cheapest ones around. VCU's art program has challenged me more than even my AP art class did. I like the curriculum here, too. During freshman year all potential art majors are in Art Foundation and start off running. This semester I had two studio classes, an art projects class, an art history class, and another honors art class. Next semester will again be two studio classes, one art projects class, and an art history class. In March of freshman year we then declare our top three choices for our art concentration. By exposing students to this much art as freshman, we can better see where our interests and strengths lie. By the end of Spring Semester freshman year, we then know in which discipline we will be placed, determining which specific curriculum we will pursue for the rest of our time at VCU. This makes a lot of sense to me, as art is a field in which a person must be passionate and really like what he is doing. The toughness of the curriculum early on allows students to see if this is what one really want to do for the rest of his life. If not, then the switch to another major can be made early in the college career. Since VCU is a large university of over 32,000 students, it offers a wide variety of activities. Finally, with Richmond as one of the cultural centers of Virginia, something happens there all of the time. In short, VCU and Richmond: something for everybody! Just look!

It is more than a bang for the buck. Although out of state tuition is expensive, the price is nothing compared to other art schools. It is well worth it, and i recommend it to any one.

The city is great and the school is awesome but sometimes I wish the tuition was not so high. Also, the cost of living in Richmond is a little pricey. This is why I chose to live off campus and not downtown. However, there are so many things to do in the city as well as at VCU. Richmond holds a variety of festivals, there are always concert events, the restaurant choices are endless and the clubs never let me down. VCU offers a large amount of organizations, free activities and events, free access to the gym with your VCU id card, even library access until after midnight! Free movie showings almost every weekend is definitely a plus, too. There is never a day that something is NOT going on. Being a student here at VCU will not let you down because there are so many activities and events you can involve yourself in.

I mean if it's a place that allows you to understand how to live in the real world and understand that people are different, while still offering you every opportunity to learn, how can it not be a great bang for the buck?

yes, there are some things that could use improvement, but overall vcu is a very good choice. you'll learn a lot, and there's a ton of amazing research happening here that is going to be instrumental in years to come, and you are more than welcome to participate.