Campus Spotlight: The University of Richmond

Terry Hurley-Maciulewicz headshot

College Solutions VP of Counseling and Senior Counselor Terry Hurley-Macieulewicz has visited a lot of campuses in her career (more than 200, to be exact! ). So she knows a special campus when she sees one. Today, she’s sharing her takeaways from a recent visit to the University of Richmond (UR).

 

A Web of Wins: Take a closer look at the University of Richmond Spiders

If you like small classes, a close community, and a mascot with eight legs, the University of Richmond (UR) might be your kind of quirky. Did you know UR is the only university with a spider as its mascot? 

Westhampton Lake from Tyler Haynes Commons at UR

Small-but-mighty academics

UR keeps things personal with an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and an average class size of about 16. This means professors actually learn your name (and probably your coffee order).

You’ll also find some one-of-a-kind academic flavor here. The Jepson School of Leadership Studies is widely noted as the nation’s first undergraduate school devoted to leadership, which is pretty neat for students who want to study how change actually happens.

Clubs, crews, and “choose-your-own-adventure”

With 175+ student organizations (including 30 sport clubs), it’s hard not to find your people. Start at SpiderFest, the twice-yearly fair where you can sample clubs like they’re at a buffet. 

A few fan favorites:

  • Richmond Rowdies (spirit squad): Bring the noise, lose your voice.

  • Outdoors Club & OAR: Kayaking the James, rock climbing, biking—weekends = sorted.

  • Beekeeping & Bee Campus USA: Yes, really. UR maintains campus hives and is a certified Bee Campus USA affiliate, sweet in every sense.

Spiders abroad (a lot)

UR is a study-abroad powerhouse and is ranked #1 nationwide for participation among baccalaureate colleges in the latest Open Doors report. Many Spiders graduate with international experience, and there are 70+ programs in 30+ countries to choose from.

Extra-fun facts about UR

  • New Spider Walk → Graduate Walk. You’ll start your UR journey with the New Spider Walk across campus, then do the “reverse” processional as a graduating senior.

  • Westhampton Lake sits at campus center and is great for hammocks, sunsets, and the occasional goose cameo. Speaking of… meet Triceragoose, the (unofficial) queen of the lake with campus-wide folklore and even her own video.

  • A charming daily ritual: the Boatwright Library carillon plays music across campus at 12:30 p.m. and 5 p.m.—sometimes everything from classical to the Beatles.

Boatwright Tower at the University of Richmond

The UR vibe in eight words

Beautiful campus, personal attention, big-hearted traditions, global mindset.

If you’re picturing afternoons by the lake, evenings under carillon chimes, and weekends packed with clubs, games, and adventure—well, that’s a pretty Spider-y snapshot of life at Richmond.

❓Did you know that College Solutions clients who applied to UR were approximately 3.5 times more likely to gain admission vs. the general population of applicants in 2025? Learn more about the College Solutions advantage here.

Margaret BaudinetComment