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Summary
Virginia Tech is a public institution that was founded in 1872. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 23,700, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 2,600 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Virginia Tech's ranking in the 2013 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 72. Its in-state tuition and fees are $10,930 (2012-13); out-of-state tuition and fees are $25,320 (2012-13).
At Virginia Tech, a former military institute with its background in the sciences, students are encouraged to “invent the future.” Students are known as Hokies, a term that was the original rally cry when the school was known as the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute. Sports teams, also known as the Hokies, compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference, and the school mascot is the HokieBird. Virginia Tech is settled in Blacksburg, a typical college town full of restaurants, bars, and clubs. Students account for more than half the total residents in Blacksburg, and they dominate the town’s public Blacksburg Transit bus system, which is free for Hokies. On campus, students can go bowling, play pool, or try out video games in the BreakZONE, sponsored by the Department of University Unions and Student Activities. There are also more than 600 clubs and organizations, including a large Greek system of approximately 65 fraternities and sororities. Freshmen must live on campus, which puts them in close proximity to the school’s renowned dining facilities. Students can order steak and lobster at Virginia Tech’s West End Market, or grab a meal from on-campus chain restaurants including Au Bon Pain and Sbarro.
With the school’s long history as a technical institution, graduate offerings include programs in the highly ranked College of Engineering. The school is also a research powerhouse, with six centers—including the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute—that offer research opportunities to undergraduate and graduate students alike. All students can also take advantage of the Math Emporium, an off-campus lab that houses more than 500 Mac computers, tutoring sessions, and occasional classes. Notable Hokie alumni include football player Michael Vick and talk show host Hoda Kotb.
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As a broad based research university with a large undergraduate population, Virginia Tech strikes a balance among learning, discovery, and engagement. Programs offer almost 200 degrees, but the institution has historic strengths in science, technology, engineering, and professional programs. Located in a sylvan mountain setting away from city life, the university has a well developed tradition of student involvement in more than 600 clubs, organizations, and social groups each offering leadership, service, and recreation opportunities. We have a tradition of strong undergraduate education with a special emphasis on professional development . . . a "hands-on, minds-on" way of learning. As a result this large university has a small-town feel. Its "Hokie Spirit" underscores the strong sense of community that pervades the school. |
General Information
| School type | public, coed college |
| Year founded | 1872 |
| Religious affiliation | N/A |
| Academic calendar | semester |
| Setting | rural |
| 2011 Endowment | $593,700,000 |
Applying
When applying to Virginia Tech, it's important to note the application deadline is January 15, and the early decision deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due January 28. The application fee at Virginia Tech is $60. It is more selective, with an acceptance rate of 66.5 percent.
For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.
| Selectivity | more selective |
| Fall 2011 acceptance rate | 66.6% |
| Application deadline | January 15 |
| SAT/ACT scores must be received by | January 28 |
Academic Life
The student-faculty ratio at Virginia Tech is 16:1, and the school has 28.3 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at Virginia Tech include: Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Engineering; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Social Sciences; and Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 91.2 percent.
Student Life
Virginia Tech has a total undergraduate enrollment of 23,700, with a gender distribution of 58.2 percent male students and 41.8 percent female students. Virginia Tech is part of the NCAA I athletic conference.
See what students are saying about life at Virginia Tech.
| Total enrollment | 30,936 |
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| Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity | N/A |
| Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority | N/A |
| Collegiate athletic association | NCAA I |
Campus Info & Services
Virginia Tech offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, women's center, placement service, health service, and health insurance. Virginia Tech also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Of the students at Virginia Tech, 58 percent have cars on campus. Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at Virginia Tech.
| Students who have cars on campus | 58% |
| Health insurance offered | Yes |
| Students required to own/lease a computer | Yes |
More About Campus Info & Services
Paying for School
At Virginia Tech, 43.0 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $6,606.
Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.
| In-state tuition and fees | $10,930 (2012-13) |
| Out-of-state tuition and fees | $25,320 (2012-13) |
| Room and board | $8,000 (2012-13) |
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* Overview details based on 2011 data
