I’ve looked at > 5000 matriculations from 10 “elite” high schools (Exeter, Trinity, Hotchkiss, Horace Mann, Dalton, Harvard Westlake, San Francisco University High, College Preparatory - Oakland, Lakeside, Ransom-Everglades). Students at these schools presumably tend to be well-informed about colleges, are prestige-conscious, are willing to travel, and in most cases can afford to choose any college. Their average test scores are higher than at most other American high schools.
(see post #78 at: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1847482-private-prep-schools-and-hot-colleges-p6.html)
Based on posted matriculation numbers, I find that UVa enrolls fewer of these students than Michigan, Berkeley, or UCLA, but more than UNC-CH, Wisconsin, or Texas. Its total matriculation rank is 49th. Other colleges that enroll more of these students include the 8 Ivies, NYU, USC, Stanford, Chicago, Georgetown, WUSTL, JHU, Northwestern, and most of the NESCAC schools (New England LACs). Preferences seem to be somewhat regional.
If you looked at other elite high schools besides the ten I considered, you’d surely get somewhat different results. However, I think it’s safe to say that nation-wide (and especially in the East), UVa is one of the most prestigious colleges, probably ranking in the bottom ~third of the top ~50. If you’re a VA resident, then in my opinion, no college is so much more prestigious that it would be worth a big price premium, for that reason alone, for most students.