Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – more commonly known as Virginia Tech – was founded in 1872. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, has more than 100 campus buildings, a 2,600-acre main campus, a 1,700-acre agriculture research farm, and even its own private airport. Virginia Tech’s biggest claim to fame is sports. Everyone knows about Hokie Football. But, Virginia Tech – constantly ranked as a tier 2 university – is more than just sports, it’s also a very good place to get an education.
Virginia Tech has more than 21,500 undergraduate students, about 6,000 graduate students, and more than 2,600 faculty members and researchers, making it the largest university in the state of Virginia. It consists of eight colleges and graduate school, has 60 bachelor’s degree programs, and 140 master’s & doctoral programs. Amongst the most popular majors are general engineering, business, biology, and animal & poultry sciences. Tuition for undergraduates is about $6,000 for in-state students, while out-of-state students have to pay in the $18,000 range, still cheaper than other schools like University of Virginia and William & Mary. In-state graduate students pay about $8000 and out-of-state graduate students pay around $13,000. With these tuition prices, Virginia Tech is a great option for parents & students.
One of the negative aspects of Virginia Tech is its location. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, which is a bit of a rural area for most. The closest ‘mall’ is located 38 miles away in Roanoke. Blacksburg consists of little more than Virginia Tech students and faculty, the locals go as far as to include the students in their population count. To go to the 24-hour Walmart (where you can grocery shop & pick up school supplies) or go to some restaurants, you need to go to the next town over – Christiansburg. While it isn’t very far, it’s still a bit inconvenient.
For more information on VA Tech, please visit its website at https://www.vt.edu/
