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Virginia Military Institute, founded in 1839, is a public institution for men. Its 134-acre campus is located in Lexington, 55 miles northeast of Roanoke.

Virginia Polytech Institute and State University, founded in 1872, is a public, comprehensive university. Students who want to learn in a high-technology environment choose Virginia Tech because it is not only the largest university in Virginia, but also the Commonwealth's top research university. Undergraduates are given an opportunity to make their own groundbreaking discoveries. A leading magazine recently ranked Virginia Tech fifth in the nation in terms of the best value for schools specializing in science and technical programs. Programs are offered through the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture and Urban Studies, Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Human Resources and Education, Natural Resources, and Veterinary Medicine. Tech also has been named one of the most wired colleges in the United States, both for its innovative use of technology in all classrooms, from English to philosophy, biology and engineering, and for providing free Internet and e-mail access to all its students. Its 2,600-acre campus is located in Blacksburg, 38 miles west of Roanoke.

Virginia State, founded in 1882, is a public, comprehensive, historically black university. Its 236-acre campus is located in Petersburg, 25 miles south of Richmond.

Union College is a private, multipurpose college. Founded for men in 1795, it adopted coeducation in 1970. It is different from other liberal arts colleges with an engineering department in two ways: It has a more clearly defined and developed core curriculum than most residential liberal arts colleges, and the engineers are expected to complete the same core courses as their liberal arts peers. In fact, an effort is made to keep engineering and liberal arts students in the same courses as much as possible. Union also differs from other institutions in its emphasis on undergraduate research and strong student/faculty interaction on joint projects. Finally, recognizing that diversity enriches the college experience and that academic excellence serves as its foundation, Union actively seeks students who will add to the life of the campus, in and out of class. Its 100-acre campus is located in Schenectady, 15 miles from Albany.

Virginia Union University, founded in 1865, is a church-affiliated, historically black university. Programs are offered through the School of Arts and Sciences, the Sydney Lewis School of Business, and the Graduate School of Theology. Its 82-acre campus is located in Richmond.

UVirginia, founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, is a public university. Programs are offered through the College of Arts and Sciences; the Schools of Architecture, Education, Engineering and Applied Science, and Nursing; the McIntire School of Commerce; the Darden School of Business Administration; and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Its 1,138-acre campus is located in Charlottesville, 70 miles northwest of Richmond. The original campus, designed by Jefferson, is considered a masterpiece of American architecture.

U Virginia's College at Wise, founded in 1954, is a public institution of arts and sciences. Its 367-acre campus is located in Wise, 60 miles northwest of Bristol, Tenn.

Virginia Wesleyan, founded in 1961, is a private, church-affiliated, liberal arts college. Its 300-acre campus is located in Norfolk/Virginia Beach, 10 miles from downtown area and 15 miles from the ocean.

Voorhees, founded in 1897, is a church-affiliated, historically black college. Its 350-acre campus is located in Denmark, 55 miles south of Columbia.

Wake Forest University, founded in 1834, is a private liberal arts university. Though small, it has the resources of a much larger institution. Students choose Wake Forest over other similar schools for many reasons, including its small classes, the breadth and availability of its study abroad programs, the strength of its academic programs (particularly accounting and other preprofessional programs) and the commitment to community service, reflected in its 700-member Volunteer Service Corps. Other factors, such as individualized instruction and Atlantic Coast Conference sports, also distinguish Wake Forest. In 1996, Wake Forest launched a comprehensive plan to enhance undergraduate education. The plan has brought greater use of computer technology to the university. All freshmen receive IBM ThinkPads when they arrive on campus, and students have quick and easy access to the university's sophisticated computer network from practically anywhere on campus, including classrooms and residence halls. The plan's many other features include the introduction of first-year seminars (many of which give freshman their first opportunities to use their new laptop computers), the hiring of additional faculty and new scholarships. The 340-acre campus is located in Winston-Salem, adjacent to 150-acre Reynolda Gardens, and has many modified Georgian buildings.