Virginia’s college students may have registered to vote in unprecedented numbers this year, but many won’t have their campus newspapers suggesting who to vote for. Newspapers have a long tradition of endorsing candidates but some college editors said picking candidates is not part of the role they play.

Class sizes will increase while course offerings decrease at Virginia Commonwealth University. The University of Virginia will defer maintenance on its historic grounds. And Christopher Newport University will close its study-abroad center in the Czech Republic next semester. Those are just a few of the ways Virginia’s colleges and universities will accommodate budget reductions announced Thursday by Gov. Timothy M. Kaine.

Each year, U.S. News & World Report publishes its rankings of colleges and universities from around the country. Here’s how Virginia fared:

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Students can transfer associate degrees or land high-paying jobs right out of school. “What sets us apart from four-year institutions of higher learning is that we place an emphasis on industry-relevant high-tech skills that can be learned in a short period of time,” said Dr. J. Mark Estepp, president of Southwest Virginia Community College.

People sometimes joke about the fact that in today’s world students should start thinking about college when they enter kindergarten. That may be a stretch, but the college application process often does begin early in a student’s high school years.

Area campuses generate news all the time, with new programs, construction, awards and initiatives. Here is a roundup of news items submitted by the schools profiled in this section:

When a student leaves home to attend college it brings a sense of change to the whole family.

Colleges and universities are constantly creating new programs, or expanding facilities or just offering glimpses of campus life.