By Mia Hanuska
Officially Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia Tech is Virginia’s second-largest public university. Virginia Tech has over 230 graduate and undergraduate programs for its 31,000 students to choose from. Their main campus, located in Blacksburg, Virginia, boasts a beautiful 221 buildings on 2,600 acres of land, including their own airport! Students at Virginia Tech are known as “Hokies,” named after their iconic mascot, the HokieBird.
Not only does Virginia Tech have nine academic colleges, they are also one of only six senior military colleges outside of federal academies with their impressive Corps of Cadets program. Their cadet program even has its own regimental band, the Highty-Tighties, that performs at football and basketball games side-by-side with the regular marching band and in competitive parades, where they have 129 first-place trophies out of 130 parades.
Aside from their cadets, Virginia Tech is known for their engineering, human science, and computer/information science majors. They rank #4 in the nation for industrial and manufacturing engineering, and #7 in environmental health. Classes have an average of 24 students, allowing for a more individual learning experience, and professors are always happy to help during office hours.
Additionally, the campus is gorgeous, with walkways surrounded by nature and buildings cohesively built out of their signature Hokie Stone—a mineral most prevalent in Virginia, Tennessee, and Alabama. Students are divided into 47 residential dorms, including 15 living-learning programs that provide a unique experience to students in the communities. Students also have access to the 3rd best university food in the United States at one of the 47 dining halls across their 11 locations, and can enjoy endless food options from countless cousines.
As for admissions, Virginia Tech typically admits students with a 27-32 ACT, 620-700 and 620-730 SAT for math and reading, respectively, although they are a test-optional school. The acceptance rate is 57%, and in 2025, VT had over 57,000 student applications. Is Virginia Tech the school for you? Learn more at vt.edu.
