Virginia Tech (VT)

Virginia Tech is a large public research university located in Blacksburg, Virginia. It was founded in 1872 as a military and agricultural school and has since grown into one of the top engineering and technology schools in the United States.

Today, Virginia Tech offers a wide range of academic programs in science, engineering, business, the arts, and more. It's also known for its strong research programs and commitment to hands-on learning. The campus has a military tradition, and it still has a Corps of Cadets among its mostly civilian student population.

Overall, Virginia Tech is known for academic excellence, school and a strong sense of community.

Virginia Tech received a record-breaking 57,622 first-year applications for 2025, marking a 10.2% increase from the previous year. This surge represents the fifth consecutive year of growth in application numbers. The applicant pool comprised 21,849 in-state applicants, 30,082 out-of-state applicants, and 5,691 international applicants. Notably, there was a 16.6% increase in applications from first-generation college students and a 15.7% rise in applications to the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. The Virginia Tech Class of 2025 stands out for its academic excellence, diversity, and strong representation from in-state students. The incoming class achieved the highest average GPA in the university's history, with an impressive 4.11.

Virginia Tech offers a vibrant campus life with over 800 student organizations, giving students plenty of ways to get involved outside the classroom. These groups range from academic and professional clubs to cultural organizations, service groups, music and performing arts ensembles, and special interest clubs like gaming, outdoor adventures, or robotics. Virginia Tech competes in 22 NCAA Division I varsity sports as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Better be ready to be part of the Hokie Nation, because the "typical student is someone who has a love for all things Virginia Tech." Those who attend VT "are proud of our school," and "A typical student here wears Virginia Tech clothes practically every day." Indeed, "you will find them at every VT football game." But the student body is about more than cheering for the maroon and orange. These "middle-class" students study hard "but play harder." Education matters here, but maybe not as much as living life. "The typical student is serious about schoolwork," students say, "but also knows how to have a good time." A majority of students are "white and from Virginia or North Carolina," but students prefer to describe their peers as "smart, approachable, and kind" and note that "we have every personality type and quirk you could ever imagine." If you are "wellrounded, involved, and [have] lots of school spirit," you are likely to fit in at VT.

Living "in the middle of nowhere" may seem like a recipe for boredom, but members of VT's Hokie Nation make the most of this "perfect college town." After all, when "there are 30,000 people around you that are the same age as you, you find stuff to do." When not consumed with Virginia Tech football-you'll see more maroon and orange in a single day here than most people will see in a lifetime-students here do, well, a little bit of everything. "School-related and Greek-life functions are the main sources of weekend activities," students say, but deceptively quiet Blacksburg and the surrounding area offer plenty of other options. On weekends, students "go out to parties or downtown with friends, we go out to eat, we play tennis, lay out on the Drillfield, play in the snow when we have some, go on hikes, and go to the river." That's just a start. Students find "there is always something fun going on to do with your friends," including "bowling, movies, club sports, video games," and more. If you can't find it in Blacksburg, it's ten minutes away in Christiansburg. Students enjoy relaxing, getting into discussions, or having outdoor adventures in a pastoral setting. When autumn arrives, "football games dominate the social scene."

Virginia Tech “does excellent with job placement after graduation.” There are many opportunities for internships and full-time positions through the “amazing Career Services” as well as career fairs for every major. Though Virginia Tech isn’t necessarily known for liberal arts, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Science has been gaining serious momentum over the years, and “there are also a lot of connections to D.C. for jobs in these fields.” The department maintains a host of online and in-person resources, such as Resumania! résumé review services, on-campus interviewing programs, and an online database of jobs and internships. Fifty-one percent of Virginia Tech graduates who visited PayScale.com said they thought their job had a meaningful impact on the world, and reported a median starting salary of $63,900.