View source for Virginia Tech

{{Short description|Public university in Blacksburg, Virginia, US}}
{{redirect|VA Tech}}
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{{Use American English|date = March 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = Virginia Polytechnic Institute<br>and State University
 | image                  = Virginia Tech seal.svg
 | image_upright          = .7
 | motto                  = ''Ut Prosim'' ([[Latin]])
 | mottoeng               = "That I May Serve"
 | established            = {{start date and age|1872|6|20}}
 | type                   = [[Public university|Public]] [[Land-grant college|land-grant]] [[research university|research]] [[senior military college|senior military university]]
 | academic_affiliations  = {{hlist
|[[Oak Ridge Associated Universities|ORAU]]|[[State Council of Higher Education for Virginia|SCHEV]]|[[Universities Research Association|URA]]|[[Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area|CUWMA]]|[[National Sea Grant College Program|Sea-grant]]|[[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program|Space-grant]]
}}
 | endowment              = $1.7 billion (2022)<ref name=endowment>As of June 30, 2022. {{cite report |url=https://www.vtf.org/performance |title=Virginia Tech Foundation Financial Highlights |archive-date=May 23, 2024 |access-date=April 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240523053640/https://vtf.org/performance |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 | budget                 = $2.06 billion (2023)<ref name="Facts">{{Cite web|url=https://news.vt.edu/content/news_vt_edu/en/articles/2023/06/bov-overview-june-2023.html|title=Board of Visitors sets university budget, compensation plans for 2023-24 fiscal year|website=news.vt.edu}}</ref>
 | president              = [[Timothy D. Sands]]<ref name="Sands">{{cite web |title=Board of visitors appoints Timothy D. Sands as next president of Virginia Tech |url=http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2013/12/120613-president-timothysands.html |last=Hincker |first=Lawrence |date=December 6, 2013 |website=Virginia Tech News |publisher=Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402070840/http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2013/12/120613-president-timothysands.html |archive-date=April 2, 2014 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
 | provost                = Cyril Clarke<ref name="ClarkeProvost2019">{{Cite press release |title=Cyril Clarke named Virginia Tech executive vice president and provost |date=2019-01-07 |publisher=Virginia Tech News |url=https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2019/01/president-evp-announcement.html |access-date=January 8, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190107224930/https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2019/01/president-evp-announcement.html |archive-date=January 7, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>
 | students               = 36,383<ref name="enrollment">{{cite web |title=University allocates CARES Act funding to support students |url=https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2020/04/president-cares-act.html |publisher=vt.edu |access-date=August 23, 2020 |df=mdy-all |archive-date=December 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208131841/https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2020/04/president-cares-act.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Rollcall |url=https://irweb.ir.vt.edu/webtest/Rollcall.aspx |website=irweb.ir.vt.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402014936/https://irweb.ir.vt.edu/webtest/Rollcall.aspx |archive-date=April 2, 2019 |access-date=April 2, 2019}}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 29,300<ref name="enrollment" />
 | postgrad               = 7,083<ref name="enrollment" />
 | faculty                = 1,395<ref name="Demographics">{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Spring 2014 Headcount Enrollments On and Off Campus In-state determined by Tuition at University Level |url=https://irweb.ag.w2k.vt.edu/webtest/Rollcall.aspx |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714151510/https://irweb.ag.w2k.vt.edu/webtest/Rollcall.aspx |archive-date=July 14, 2014 |access-date=July 4, 2014}}</ref>
 | city                   = [[Blacksburg, Virginia|Blacksburg]]
 | state                  = [[Virginia]]
 | country                = United States
 | coor                   = {{Coord|37|13.5|N|80|25.5|W|type:edu|display=title,inline}}
 | campus                 = [[College town|Small city]]
 | campus_size            = {{convert|2600|acre|km2 sqmi}}
 | colors                 = Chicago maroon 
 and burnt orange<ref>{{cite web |title=University Trademarks |url=https://vt.edu/brand/licensing/university-trademarks.html |website=VT.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922040800/https://vt.edu/brand/licensing/university-trademarks.html |archive-date=September 22, 2019 |access-date=September 22, 2019}}</ref><br />{{College color boxes|Virginia Tech Hokies}}
 | nickname               = [[Virginia Tech Hokies|Hokies]]
 | mascot                 = [[HokieBird]]
 | sporting_affiliations  = [[NCAA Division I FBS]] – [[Atlantic Coast Conference|ACC]]
 | website                = {{official URL}}
 | logo                   = Virginia Tech logo.svg
 | logo_upright           = .9
 | former_names           = Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College (1872–1896)<br />Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute (1896–1944)<br />Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1944–1970)
 | free_label2            = Newspaper
 | free2                  = ''[[Collegiate Times]]''
 | accreditation          = [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools|SACS]]
 | free_label             = Other campuses
 | free                   = {{hlist|[[Abingdon, Virginia|Abingdon]]|[[Hampton Roads]]|Northern Virginia|[[Virginia Tech Richmond Center|Richmond]]|[[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]]|[[Riva San Vitale, Switzerland|Riva San Vitale]]|[[Punta Cana, Dominican Republic|Punta Cana]]}}
}}

<!--DO NOT REMOVE OR MOVE THE FULL ORGANIZATION NAME PER [[MOS:FIRSTCORP]].-->The '''Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University''',<ref>{{cite web |title=History and Traditions |url=https://vt.edu/about/traditions.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180127020623/https://vt.edu/about/traditions.html |archive-date=January 27, 2018 |access-date=January 28, 2018 |publisher=Virginia Tech}}</ref> commonly referred to as '''Virginia Tech''' ('''VT'''), is a [[Public university|public]] [[Land-grant college|land-grant]] [[research university]] with its main campus in [[Blacksburg, Virginia]], United States. It was founded as the '''Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College''' in 1872.

The university also has educational facilities in six regions statewide, a research center in [[Punta Cana]], [[Dominican Republic]], and a study-abroad site in [[Riva San Vitale, Switzerland]]. Through its [[Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets|Corps of Cadets]] [[Reserve Officers' Training Corps|ROTC]] program, Virginia Tech is a [[United States Senior Military College|senior military college]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Army ROTC Schools – Military Colleges and Universities |url=https://www.goarmy.com/rotc/courses-and-colleges/military-colleges.html |website=GoArmy.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180817193443/https://www.goarmy.com/rotc/courses-and-colleges/military-colleges.html |archive-date=August 17, 2018 |access-date=August 11, 2018}}</ref>

Virginia Tech offers 280 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to its 37,000 students; as of 2016, it was the state's second-largest public university by enrollment.<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech gains enrollment, becomes state's 2nd largest public university
|url=https://www.roanoke.com/news/virginia/virginia-tech-gains-enrollment-becomes-state-s-nd-largest-public/article_b68441dc-7f96-5be5-9a8a-c85f8d2f8682.html |last=Kapsidelis |first=Karin |date=January 9, 2015 |website=[[Roanoke Times]] |access-date=December 7, 2018 |archive-date=December 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208143356/https://roanoke.com/news/virginia/virginia-tech-gains-enrollment-becomes-state-s-nd-largest-public/article_b68441dc-7f96-5be5-9a8a-c85f8d2f8682.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It is [[Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education|classified]] among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research spending and doctorate production".<ref>{{cite web |title=Carnegie Classifications Institution Lookup |url=https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=233921 |publisher=Center for Postsecondary Education |website=carnegieclassifications.iu.edu |access-date=26 July 2020 |archive-date=December 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208131733/https://carnegieclassifications.iu.edu/lookup/view_institution.php?unit_id=233921 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The university's athletic teams are known as the [[Hokies|Virginia Tech Hokies]] and compete in [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] as members of the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]].

==History==
[[File:VT Burruss Hall.jpg|thumb|Virginia Tech's Burruss Hall|left]]
[[File:Paul Barringer.jpg|thumb|VT's 6th president, [[Paul Brandon Barringer]]]]
[[File:"VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE" LOGO ART DETAIL, Virginia Tech Bugle 1899 (page 25 crop).jpg|thumb|Virginia Polytechnic Institute logo in the 1899 yearbook]]
In 1872, with federal funds provided by the [[Morrill Act of 1862]], the Reconstruction-era [[Virginia General Assembly]] purchased the facilities of [[Preston and Olin Institute]], a small [[Methodist]] school for boys in Southwest Virginia's rural [[Montgomery County, Virginia|Montgomery County]]. That same year, {{convert|250|acre}} of the adjoining [[Solitude (Blacksburg, Virginia)|Solitude Farm]] including the house and several farm buildings on the estate were acquired for $21,250 from Robert Taylor Preston, a son of [[Governor of Virginia]], [[James Patton Preston]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Solitude |url=https://www.vt.edu/about/buildings/Solitude.html |website=Vt.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023052521/https://www.vt.edu/about/buildings/Solitude.html |archive-date=October 23, 2016 |access-date=October 22, 2016}}</ref><ref name="vaNRHPnom">{{cite web |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Solitude |url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Montgomery/150-0100-0003_Solitude_1989_Final_Nomination.pdf |last=Worsham |first=Gibson |date=January 1988 |publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924122437/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Montgomery/150-0100-0003_Solitude_1989_Final_Nomination.pdf |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The commonwealth incorporated a new institution on the site, a state-supported [[land-grant]] [[military academy#Private academies|military institute]] named '''Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College'''.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Short History of Virginia Tech, 1850–1974: Pre-Founding 1850–1872 |url=http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/125th/kinnear/prefound.htm |last=Kinnear |first=Duncan Lyle |website=Virginia Tech Special Collections |publisher=Virginia Tech |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20180522002019/http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/125th/kinnear/prefound.htm |archive-date=May 22, 2018 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

Virginia Tech's first student, [[Addison Caldwell|Addison "Add" Caldwell]] registered on October 1, 1872, after hiking over 25 miles from his home in [[Craig County, Virginia]]. A statue, located in the Upper Quad of campus commemorates Add's journey to enroll.<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech History: Addison Caldwell, Tech's First Student |url=http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/125th/students/add.htm |last=Cox |first=Clara B. |year=1992 |website=spec.lib.vt.edu |publisher=Virginia Tech Special Collections |orig-year=1991 |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20180521182244/http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/125th/students/add.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2018 |access-date=March 7, 2018}}</ref> First-year cadets and their training cadre re-enact Addison Caldwell's journey every year in the Caldwell March. They complete the first half of the 26-mile march in the fall and the second half in the spring.<ref>{{cite web |title=Caldwell March |url=https://vtcc.vt.edu/give/caldwell-march.html |website=Vtcc.vt.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180414172408/https://vtcc.vt.edu/give/caldwell-march.html |archive-date=April 14, 2018 |access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref>

The first five presidents of Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College served in the [[Confederate States Army]] or the [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] government during the [[American Civil War|Civil War]] as did many of its early professors including the first [[Commandant]], [[James Henry Lane (Confederate general)|James H. Lane]], a [[Virginia Military Institute|VMI]] graduate and former [[General officers in the Confederate States Army|Confederate General]] who taught [[civil engineering]] and commerce at the college and is the namesake of Lane Hall, one of the oldest buildings on campus, built in 1888.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lane Hall &#124; Virginia Tech |url=https://vt.edu/about/buildings/lane-hall.html |last=vt.edu |publisher=Vt.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907194941/https://vt.edu/about/buildings/lane-hall.html |archive-date=September 7, 2017 |access-date=October 2, 2017}}</ref> Its third president, [[Thomas Nelson Conrad]], was a notorious Confederate spy who ran a covert intelligence gathering operation from a home in the heart of [[Washington, D.C.]] Its sixth president, [[Paul Brandon Barringer]], was a son of Confederate General [[Rufus Barringer]] and a nephew of Confederate Generals [[Stonewall Jackson]] and [[Daniel Harvey Hill]].

In a nod to this southern heritage the [[Confederate Battle Flag]] was traditionally waved by cheerleaders at Virginia Tech [[American football|football]] games and the [[Highty-Tighties]] played [[Dixie (song)|Dixie]] as a [[fight song]] when the [[Hokies]] scored a touchdown. A large Confederate flag also hung inside [[Cassell Coliseum]] where Virginia Tech [[basketball]] games are played.<ref>{{cite web |title=SAC asks Hahn remove flag; will not censor band, 'Dixie' |url=http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/blackhistory/timeline/flag.htm |last=Chaney |first=John |date=March 5, 1969 |website=Virginia Tech Special Collections |publisher=The Virginia Tech (newspaper) |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20180521194707/http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/blackhistory/timeline/flag.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2018}}</ref> Since 1963, [[Skipper (cannon)|"Skipper"]], a replica of a Civil War cannon has been fired at football games by members of the Corps of Cadets when the team scores.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of "Skipper" Ceremonial Cannon of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets |url=http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/125th/cadets/cannon.htm |last1=Harper |first1=Alton B. |last2=Hickam |first2=Homer H. |author-link2=Homer Hickam |publisher=Virginia Tech Special Collections |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20180521183020/http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/125th/cadets/cannon.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2018 |access-date=October 2, 2017}}</ref> The Confederate Flag was also prominently featured on all Virginia Tech [[class ring]]s.<ref>{{cite web |title=The VPI Ring 1969 |url=https://www.alumni.vt.edu/content/dam/alumni_vt_edu/classrings/brochures/1969brochure.pdf |website=Alumni.vt.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180622060256/https://www.alumni.vt.edu/content/dam/alumni_vt_edu/classrings/brochures/1969brochure.pdf |archive-date=June 22, 2018 |access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref> The display of the Confederate flag at athletic events ended in the late 1960s after Marguerite Harper, a black woman attending Virginia Tech on a [[Rockefeller Foundation|Rockefeller]] [[Scholarship]] for culturally disadvantaged students, was elected to the student senate during her sophomore year and made a successful resolution to end the practice. Following the resolution there was a large demonstration in opposition to the removal of the Confederate flag. The campus was covered in Confederate flags and "Dixie" was blasting from dormitory windows. Harper and her white roommate received hate mail and threatening phone calls, but the resolution stood, and the display of the rebel flag ended in 1969.<ref>{{cite web |title=Breaking the Double Barrier: The First Black Women at Tech |url=http://www.vtmag.vt.edu/sum97/feature1.html |date=Summer 1997 |editor-last=Clauson-Wicker |editor-first=Su |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026153828/http://www.vtmag.vt.edu/sum97/feature1.html |archive-date=October 26, 2017 |access-date=October 2, 2017 |magazine=Virginia Tech Magazine}}</ref> The Confederate flag on Virginia Tech class rings became optional in 1972 and could be left off of the ring at the student's request.<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech 1971 Class Ring |url=http://www.humabout.net/vt71ring.html |date=July 1, 1970 |publisher=Humabout.net |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026033715/http://www.humabout.net/vt71ring.html |archive-date=October 26, 2017 |access-date=October 2, 2017}}</ref> The Confederate flag has since been removed from class ring designs entirely.

Under the leadership of seventh president [[Joseph Dupuy Eggleston]], who held the position from 1913 to 1919, the university established a [[Reserve Officer Training Corps]] to support national efforts during [[World War I]].

Early on the morning of March 13, 1917, physics professor Charles E. Vawter, Jr. (son of Charles E. Vawter, who had served on the VPI board of visitors from 1886 to 1900), shot Stockton Heth, Jr., a scion of one of Montgomery County's wealthiest families, in his campus home on faculty row. Heth, who lived at [[Whitethorn (Blacksburg, Virginia)|Whitethorne]], an [[Antebellum architecture|antebellum]] mansion on a 1,500-acre estate near Blacksburg, later died of his wounds in a Roanoke hospital. Due to the Heth family's wealth and political connections, Vawter's position as head of the VPI physics department, and the scandalous extramarital affair that led to the shooting, the resulting murder trial was one of the most sensational in Virginia history (Vawter was acquitted, and left the school).<ref name="collegiatetimes.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/the-trial-of-professor-charles-vawter/article_c5608632-70a4-11e7-a377-a70b2a33ec85.html |title=The trial of Professor Charles Vawter |first=Matt |last=Jones |website=Collegiate Times |date=July 24, 2017 |access-date=October 9, 2021 |archive-date=June 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613014150/http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/the-trial-of-professor-charles-vawter/article_c5608632-70a4-11e7-a377-a70b2a33ec85.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Eggleston attempted to suppress news of the affair in the media with considerable success, possibly due to the [[Russian Revolution]] and the [[United States declaration of war on Germany (1917)|US declaration of war on Germany]] that stole the headlines in the [[1917|spring of 1917]].

===College reorganizations===
During Thomas Nelson Conrad's tenure as president, the college switched from semesters to the quarter system, which remained in place until the late 1980s. Under the 1891–1907 presidency of [[John McLaren McBryde]], the school organized its academic programs into a traditional four-year college and a graduate department was founded. The evolution of the school's programs led to a name change in 1896 to '''Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute'''. The "Agricultural and Mechanical College" portion of the name was popularly omitted almost immediately; in 1944, the name was officially changed to '''Virginia Polytechnic Institute''' ('''VPI''').<ref>{{cite web |title=A School of Many Names |url=https://www.unirel.vt.edu/history/historical_digest/index.html |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314234647/https://www.unirel.vt.edu/history/historical_digest/index.html |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |access-date=September 11, 2014}}</ref>

VPI admitted its first female students in 1921 as civilian [[day student]]s; they did not live on campus.  In 1923, VPI changed a policy of compulsory participation in the Corps of Cadets from four years to two years. In 1931, VPI began teaching classes at the Norfolk Division of the [[College of William and Mary]] (now [[Old Dominion University]]).<ref>{{cite web |title=Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary |url=http://www.lib.odu.edu/exhibits/odu75thanniversary/norfolkdivision.htm |publisher=[[Old Dominion University]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313134227/http://www.lib.odu.edu/exhibits/odu75thanniversary/norfolkdivision.htm |archive-date=March 13, 2012 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> This program eventually developed into a two-year engineering program that allowed students to transfer to VPI for their final two years of degree work.[[File:Patton Hall and cars at Virginia Tech, ca 1952.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Jaguar Mark VII]] (left) and several [[Chevrolet Deluxe]] cars parked in front of Patton Hall, c. 1952]]

[[File:Torgerson Pedestrian Bridge.jpg|thumb|right|Torgersen Hall bridge over Alumni Mall is an example of architecture using Hokie Stone.]]
[[File:Eggleston and Owens Halls Virginia Tech.JPG|thumb|right|West Eggleston (left) and Owens Halls]]

The first women's dormitory at VPI, Hillcrest Hall, was built in 1940. In 1943, VPI merged with Radford State Teachers College in nearby [[Radford, Virginia|Radford]], which became VPI's women's division; the merger was dissolved in 1964. Today, [[Radford University]] is a co-educational research university that enrolls nearly 10,000 students and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate programs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Who We Are, Radford University |url=http://radford.edu/content/radfordcore/home/about.html |publisher=[[Radford University]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309112822/http://radford.edu/content/radfordcore/home/about.html |archive-date=March 9, 2014 |access-date=March 9, 2014}}</ref>

===Post–World War II===
[[File:Corps of Cadets drill at Virginia Tech, ca 1952.jpg|thumb|Corps of Cadets on campus c. 1952]]
[[File:Donaldson-Brown Virginia Tech.JPG|thumb|Donaldson-Brown Center]][[File:War Memorial Pylon Virginia Tech.JPG|thumb|One of the War Memorial Chapel pylons, "Sacrifice", on a snowy day]]In 1953, under the leadership of President [[Walter Stephenson Newman]], VPI became the first historically white, four-year public institution among the 11 states in the former Confederacy to admit a black undergraduate. Three more black students were admitted in 1954. At the time Virginia still enforced [[Jim Crow laws]] and largely practiced [[racial segregation]] in public and private education, churches, neighborhoods, restaurants, and movie theaters and these first black students at VPI were not allowed to live in residence halls or eat in the dining halls on campus. Instead, they boarded with African American families in Blacksburg. In 1958, Charlie L. Yates made history as the first African American to graduate from VPI. Yates earned a bachelor's degree in [[mechanical engineering]], with honors, and was hailed as the first African American "to be graduated from any major Southern engineering institute," according to news reports at the time.<ref>{{cite web |title=In memoriam: Charlie L. Yates, Virginia Tech's first African American graduate &#124; News &#124; Virginia Tech |url=https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2010/08/081110-coe-yates-memoriam.html |date=August 11, 2010 |publisher=Vtnews.vt.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810012847/https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2010/08/081110-coe-yates-memoriam.html |archive-date=August 10, 2017 |access-date=October 2, 2017}}</ref>

VPI President [[T. Marshall Hahn]], whose tenure ran from 1962 to 1974,<ref name="TH">{{cite web |title=Life & Times of Virginia Tech presidents: Thomas Marshall Hahn Jr., 1962–74 |url=http://www.president.vt.edu/presidents/Hahn.html |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111164906/http://www.president.vt.edu/lt_hahn.php |archive-date=November 11, 2007 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> was responsible for many of the programs and policies that transformed VPI from a small, historically white, predominately male, military institute with a primary focus on undergraduate teaching into a major co-educational research university. The student body that had been approximately 5,682 in 1962 increased by roughly 1,000 students each year, new dormitories and academic buildings were constructed, faculty members were added – in 1966, for instance, more than 100 new professors joined the faculty – and research budgets were increased.<ref name="TH" /> During Hahn's tenure, not only did the university graduate its first [[Rhodes Scholar]], W.W. Lewis, Class of 1963,<ref>{{cite web |title=A Short History of Virginia Tech: The Hahn Administration 1962–1974 |url=http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/125th/kinnear/hahn.htm |last=Kinnear |first=Duncan Lyle |publisher=Virginia Tech Special Collections |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20180521182235/https://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/125th/kinnear/hahn.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2018 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> the requirement for male students to participate in the Corps of Cadets for two years was dropped in 1964. Beginning in the fall of 1973, women could participate in the Corps, making Virginia Tech among the nation's first senior military colleges to integrate women.<ref>{{cite web |title=A History of the Corps of Cadets |url=https://www.vtcc.vt.edu/about/history.html |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314234553/https://www.vtcc.vt.edu/about/history.html |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |access-date=March 14, 2014}}</ref>

In 1970, the state legislature allowed VPI university status and gave it the present legal name, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. In the early 1990s, university administration authorized the official use of Virginia Tech as equivalent to the full legal name, officially adopting a nickname dating to the 1910s. "Virginia Tech" has been used as the first-reference name for the school's athletic teams since the 1970s. However, diplomas and transcripts still spell out the formal name. Similarly, the abbreviation "VT" is far more common today than either VPI or VPI&SU.

===Vietnam War era===
During the [[Vietnam War]], students on college campuses across the nation protested [[conscription|the draft]] and U.S. involvement in the conflict. Despite its long history as a [[military school]], Virginia Tech was no exception. Most protests at Virginia Tech were small sit-ins and teach-ins, but In mid-April 1970 a group of anti-war protesters including students and faculty members disrupted a Corps of Cadets drill on campus. The Virginia Tech administration under Hahn took swift action. The students involved were suspended and the faculty members involved were fired from the university and the administration went to court and obtained an injunction to prevent them from repeating the act. This succeeded in calming tensions on campus, but only for a few weeks.<ref name="spec.lib.vt.edu">{{cite web |title=Campus Unrest at Virginia Tech |url=https://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/unrest/intro.htm |date=1997 |publisher=Virginia Tech Special Collections |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20180521171706/https://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/unrest/intro.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2018}}</ref>

Tensions on campus reached the boiling point several days following the [[Kent State Shootings]] when on May 12, 1970, a large mob including students and a number of non-student anti-war protesters enraged by the Kent State incident and angered by the administration's disciplinary actions in response to a number of recent infractions by protesters including; vandalism of university property, a series of potentially dangerous fires set on campus, breaking and entering into a university building, and a sit-in in Cowgill Hill, seized Williams Hall and barricaded themselves inside.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hahn's statement on the Williams occupation |url=https://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/unrest/hahnstmt.htm |last=Hahn |first=T. Marshall |author-link=T. Marshall Hahn |date=May 13, 1970 |website=Virginia Tech Special Collections |language=en-US |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20180521161045/http://spec.lib.vt.edu/archives/unrest/hahnstmt.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2018 |access-date=2018-08-13}}</ref> The administration responded quickly calling in law enforcement and early the following morning [[Virginia State Police]] forced their way into Williams Hall and began rounding up the protesters. Once inside the building the police discovered bomb making materials and determined that the students had apparently intended to build a [[Incendiary device|firebomb]]. The first few protesters were dragged out of the building; the rest left peacefully and were arrested and taken to the Montgomery County jail. The students involved in the seizure were suspended from Virginia Tech and given twenty-four hours to remove their belongings from campus after being released from jail.

Several more anti-war protests occurred at Virginia Tech during the early 1970s, but none turned violent.<ref name="spec.lib.vt.edu" />

===Late 20th century===

The university continued to expand through the last quarter of the 20th century. In 1975 [[William Edward Lavery|William E. Lavery]], who had joined the Virginia Tech faculty in 1966, took over as president when Hahn left the university to join [[Georgia-Pacific]].<ref name="Cox">{{cite web|last=Cox|first=Clara|title=In Memoriam: William Edward Lavery|url=http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2009/02/2009-114.html|access-date=August 14, 2015|archive-date=September 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905144217/http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2009/02/2009-114.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Desperate for additional farmland for the support of teaching, research, and extension programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech acquired [[Kentland Farm Historic and Archeological District|Kentland Farm]] on December 31, 1986. Virginia Tech secretly traded about 250 acres of research orchards adjacent to a commercial area that would soon become [[Christiansburg, Virginia|Christiansburg]]'s main shopping district to a group of developers for the historic but long [[fallow]] 1,785-acre Kentland property. The developers on the other end of the swap, one of whom was a former Tech athletics official, quickly sold 40 acres of the former university farmland for $2.7 million. News of the land swap, and especially the fact that it was done behind closed doors, with no input from College of Agriculture faculty sparked outrage.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Miller|first=Kevin|url=http://ww2.roanoke.com/news/nrv/11960.html|title=University acquired plantation in land swap|date=October 10, 2004|work=[[The Roanoke Times]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402133348/http://ww2.roanoke.com/news/nrv/11960.html|archive-date=April 2, 2015}}</ref>

Also in 1986, Virginia Tech became embroiled in an athletic scandal sparked by allegations of illegal recruiting, the bitter departure of two athletic directors in less than a year and millions of dollars of debt run up by the university's sports program due to mismanagement of financial resources, million dollar coaching contracts, and lavish expense accounts for athletics officials that led to a rebuke from [[Governor of Virginia]], [[Gerald Baliles]] in 1987.  Baliles, the featured speaker at the Virginia Tech's 115th annual commencement exercises, scolded the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors for the scandal and warned other state-supported institutions in Virginia not to put athletics ahead of academics.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/06/14/baliles-scolds-va-tech-on-athletic-scandal/f9d50063-48b6-4a4a-bf07-10a54ceff563/|title=BALILES SCOLDS VA. TECH ON ATHLETIC SCANDAL|first=R. H.|last=Melton|date=June 14, 1987|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=October 9, 2021|archive-date=October 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030175110/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1987/06/14/baliles-scolds-va-tech-on-athletic-scandal/f9d50063-48b6-4a4a-bf07-10a54ceff563/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lavery developed a reorganization plan for the troubled Athletic Department, and [[Frank Beamer]] was hired to replace [[Bill Dooley]] as head football coach, but with negative publicity continuing to swirl within and around the university, he announced his resignation on October 16, 1987, effective December 31, 1987, to prevent polarization of the campus.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.unirel.vt.edu/history/historical_digest/lavery_years.html|title=The Lavery Years|website=Virginia Tech|access-date=30 May 2016|archive-date=November 11, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111162222/https://www.unirel.vt.edu/history/historical_digest/lavery_years.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He was succeeded as president by [[James Douglas McComas]] who served until 1994.

Due to the unpopularity of [[Role of the United States in the Vietnam War|US involvement in the Vietnam War]] enrollment in the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets spiraled downward through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. In 1991 through the efforts of Henry Dekker (Class of 1944) The Corps of Cadets Alumni Inc. was created to save the corps, whose numbers had declined to only a few hundred students. In 1992 the alumni organization-initiated Corps Review, a newsletter that was expanded to a magazine in 2004 and targeted corps alumni. In the mid-1990s, the corps alumni organization set a goal of "1000 in 2000" and initiated a major campaign to push the number of cadets to 1,000 by the turn of the century. The goal was not reached, but membership in the corps did increase substantially by the end of the decade.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://history.unirel.vt.edu/content/history_unirel_vt_edu/en/corps/index.html|title=Corps of Cadets|website=history.unirel.vt.edu|access-date=October 9, 2021|archive-date=July 26, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726215615/https://history.unirel.vt.edu/content/history_unirel_vt_edu/en/corps/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===21st century===
The early decades of this century have seen expansion across the university's institutions in both physical and population sizes. In 2001, Virginia Tech acquired 326 acres of the [[Whitethorn (Blacksburg, Virginia)|Heth Farm]] adjacent to campus, increasing the College Farm to over 3,000 acres.<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Off-Campus Properties |url=https://www.unirel.vt.edu/history/physical_plant/off_campus_properties.html |website=History and Historical Data of Virginia Tech |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507053842/http://www.unirel.vt.edu/history/physical_plant/off_campus_properties.html |archive-date=May 7, 2018 |access-date=2018-08-13}}</ref> The [[Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute]] was created with a strategic partnership with the [[Carilion Clinic]] and the governor of Virginia. These years also brought about the rapid development of the university's professional schools of graduate education and business programs. Virginia Tech brought in over $500 million in research expenditures in 2014.<ref name="AboutVT">{{cite web |title=About Virginia Tech |url=http://www.vt.edu/about/ |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025091228/http://www.vt.edu/about/ |archive-date=October 25, 2015 |access-date=October 26, 2015}}</ref>

The establishment of scholarships for cadets and a resurgence of national [[patriotism]] after the [[September 11 attacks]] helped the corps recruit new cadets, increasing the ranks to 1,127 by 2018—the largest corps the university has seen since the mid-1960s.<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://vtcc.vt.edu/content/vtcc_vt_edu/en/alumni/corpsreview/cr-fall2018/fall18-recruiting.html|title=How Are We Doing With Recruiting?|website=vtcc.vt.edu|access-date=October 9, 2021|archive-date=July 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716051316/https://vtcc.vt.edu/content/vtcc_vt_edu/en/alumni/corpsreview/cr-fall2018/fall18-recruiting.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets is poised to increase enrollment to 1,400 in coming years.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vtnews.vt.edu/content/vtnews_vt_edu/en/articles/2019/08/corps-growth.html|title=Corps' resurgence includes new buildings and plans to reach 1,400 cadets|website=www.vtnews.vt.edu|access-date=October 9, 2021|archive-date=January 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127232209/https://www.vtnews.vt.edu/content/vtnews_vt_edu/en/articles/2019/08/corps-growth.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

====2007 mass shooting====
{{main|Virginia Tech shooting}}
On April 16, 2007, Virginia Tech student [[Seung-Hui Cho]] fatally shot 32 faculty members and students and wounded 17 others in two locations on campus before killing himself. The massacre is the deadliest [[mass shooting]] on an American college campus, surpassing the [[University of Texas tower shooting]] in 1966. Although it was at the time the deadliest mass shooting committed by a lone gunman in U.S. history, it has since been surpassed by two shootings at [[Orlando nightclub shooting|an Orlando nightclub]] and [[2017 Las Vegas shooting|an outdoor music festival in Las Vegas]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Fact File: Deadliest shootings in the U.S. |work=NBC News |url=http://www.nbcnews.com/id/18140540 |url-status=dead |access-date=September 15, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130301061624/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/18140540 |archive-date=March 1, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Ellis |first1=Ralph |last2=Fantz |first2=Ashley |last3=Karimi |first3=Faith |last4=McLaughlin |first4=Eliott C. |title=49 killed in Florida nightclub terror attack |work=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/12/us/orlando-nightclub-shooting/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=November 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612081344/http://www.cnn.com/2016/06/12/us/orlando-nightclub-shooting/index.html |archive-date=June 12, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Las Vegas shooting: At least 58 dead at Mandalay Bay Hotel |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41466116 |date=October 2, 2017 |website=[[BBC News]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171002063912/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41466116 |archive-date=October 2, 2017 |access-date=October 2, 2017}}</ref> It is the second-deadliest school massacre in U.S. history, surpassed only by the [[Bath School disaster|Bath School bombing]] in 1927 that killed 44.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 1927 Bombing That Remains America's Deadliest School Massacre |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/1927-bombing-remains-americas-deadliest-school-massacre-180963355/ |last=Boissoneault |first=Lorraine |date=May 18, 2017 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327212252/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/1927-bombing-remains-americas-deadliest-school-massacre-180963355/ |archive-date=March 27, 2019 |access-date=March 27, 2019}}</ref>

[[File:Patton Hall Virginia Tech.JPG|thumb|Patton Hall]]

====Further growth====
Due to rapid growth of incoming freshmen classes, the university announced in 2019 that it would offer 1,559 incoming, in-state freshmen financial incentives to skip the 2019–20 school year in Blacksburg.<ref>{{cite web |title=Some incoming Virginia Tech freshmen offered money to delay start in effort to relieve enrollment strain |url=https://www.roanoke.com/news/education/higher_education/virginia_tech/some-incoming-virginia-tech-freshmen-offered-money-to-delay-start/article_6ed2a7b2-3b31-500a-a810-e3f968866c3b.html |last=Korth |first=Robby |date=May 29, 2019 |website=[[Roanoke Times]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531165248/https://www.roanoke.com/news/education/higher_education/virginia_tech/some-incoming-virginia-tech-freshmen-offered-money-to-delay-start/article_6ed2a7b2-3b31-500a-a810-e3f968866c3b.html |archive-date=May 31, 2019 |access-date=May 31, 2019}}</ref> Expecting a larger-than-planned class size, the university budgeted $3.3 million for the endeavor. Virginia Tech also waived the requirement that freshmen live on campus for the 2019–20 school year, leased an off-campus [[Holiday Inn]], and converted its on-campus hotel to house students.

==Organization and administration==

Virginia Tech is a public university and one of Virginia's two [[List of land-grant universities|land-grant institutions]]. Its academic programs are administered by nine colleges, the Graduate School, and the Honors College.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ College/school founding<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Colleges and Schools |url=http://www.vt.edu/academics/academic-departments.html |date=October 25, 2015 |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023153156/http://www.vt.edu/academics/academic-departments.html |archive-date=October 23, 2015 |access-date=October 25, 2015}}</ref>
|-
! College/school!!Year founded
|-
|Graduate School||1891
|-
|[[Virginia Tech College of Engineering|College of Engineering]]||1903
|-
| [[Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences|College of Agriculture and Life Sciences]] || 1903
|-
|[[Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies|College of Architecture, Art, and Design]]||1964
|-
|[[Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences|College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences]]||1964
|-
|[[Virginia Tech College of Science|College of Science]]||1964
|-
|[[Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business|Pamplin College of Business]]||1965
|-
|[[Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine|College of Veterinary Medicine]]|||1978
|-
|[[Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment|College of Natural Resources and Environment]]||1992
|-
|[[Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute|Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute]]||2007
|-
|Honors College||2016
|}

=== Board of Visitors ===
The board of visitors is the university’s primary governing organization responsible for the maintenance of the university, its property, and its students.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bylaws - Board of Visitors |url=https://www.bov.vt.edu/Bylaws |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.bov.vt.edu}}</ref> The first board was established in 1872 by Virginia Governor [[Gilbert C. Walker]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=History - Board of Visitors |url=https://bov.vt.edu/History |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=bov.vt.edu}}</ref> Since Virginia Tech is a public university, 13 of the board's 14 members are appointed by the [[Governor of Virginia]]. The fourteenth member, the president of the [[Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services]], serves ex officio. A minimum of 6 board members are required to be alumni of Virginia Tech and a minimum of 10 board members must be Virginia state residents.<ref>{{Cite web |title=detail |url=https://www.commonwealth.virginia.gov/va-government/boards-and-commissions/comprehensive-board-listing/detail/?id=229ae0a5-b375-ed11-81ab-001dd80724a2 |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.commonwealth.virginia.gov}}</ref>
[[File:Gilbert_C._Walker_(Virginia_Governor).jpg|alt=Gilbert C. Walker (Virginia Governor)|Virginia Governor Gilbert C. Walker|thumb]]

==Academics==
Virginia Tech offers 116 [[bachelor's degree]] programs through its nine undergraduate academic colleges,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.registrar.vt.edu/contact/undergraduate-majors--brief.html |title=Undergraduate Majors &#124; Office of the University Registrar &#124; Virginia Tech |publisher=Registrar.vt.edu |access-date=2022-08-03 |archive-date=August 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220808162315/https://www.registrar.vt.edu/contact/undergraduate-majors--brief.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> 160 master's and doctoral degree programs through the Graduate School, and a professional degree from the [[Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine]]. In addition, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute is a public-private partnership jointly managed by Virginia Tech and the [[Carilion Clinic]] founded on January 3, 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=About VTC |url=http://www.vtc.vt.edu/about/ |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601183636/http://www.vtc.vt.edu/about/ |archive-date=June 1, 2014 |access-date=October 26, 2015}}{{cite web |url=http://www.vtc.vt.edu/about/index.html |title=About VTC &#124; VTC Home Page &#124; Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute |access-date=November 21, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151020032102/http://www.vtc.vt.edu/about/index.html |archive-date=October 20, 2015}}</ref>

===Admissions===
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+ Class of 2022 freshmen<ref name="admissions">{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech:: Undergrad Admissions |url=http://www.vt.edu/admissions/undergraduate'snapshot/ |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021125431/http://www.admiss.vt.edu/apply/freshman-snapshot/ |archive-date=October 21, 2015 |access-date=October 22, 2015}}</ref>
|-
| Number of freshman applicants
| 32,103
|-
| Admit rate
| 73%
|-
| Participated in Early Decision Plan
| 18%
|-
| Average GPA of admitted students
|  4.15
|-
| Average SAT scores of admitted students
| 1310
|-
| Middle 50% ACT scores of admitted students
| 24 to 28<ref>{{cite web |title=Official ACT to SAT (New 1600 and Old 2400) Conversion Charts |url=http://blog.prepscholar.com/act-to-sat-conversion |last=Edwards |first=Halle |website=Blog.prepscholar.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805081616/http://blog.prepscholar.com/act-to-sat-conversion |archive-date=August 5, 2016 |access-date=August 4, 2016}}</ref>
|}

Virginia Tech received a record number of nearly 22,500 applications for the fall 2015 freshman class, an increase of 7.6% from the previous year's 20,897 applications for an overall admissions rate of 65.8%. The typical student offered admission had a high-school grade point average of 4.00, with the middle 50 percent ranging from 3.84 and 4.27. The average cumulative SAT score was 1250 (out of 1600), with a middle range ranging from 1160 to 1340. Of the 5,518 students who accepted the offers of admission (for an admissions yield of 38%),<!--how many were admitted?-->{{discuss}} 18 percent accepted under the Early Decision Plan.<ref>{{cite web |title=Freshman Snapshot Class of 2017 |url=http://www.admiss.vt.edu/apply/freshman-snapshot/ |year=2013 |publisher=Virginia Tech Office of Undergraduate Admissions |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021125431/http://www.admiss.vt.edu/apply/freshman-snapshot/ |archive-date=October 21, 2015 |access-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref> The Office of Undergraduate Admissions is located within the Visitor and Undergraduate Admissions Center.<ref>{{cite web |title=Visit Virginia Tech |url=http://www.visit.vt.edu/ |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915184657/http://www.visit.vt.edu/ |archive-date=September 15, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

Virginia Tech offers a highly selective [[Honors College]], which provides undergraduate students 11 different ways to earn Honors credits towards one of the five Honors degree options. Once admitted, Honors students are required to maintain a 3.6 GPA in order to remain in the program. Roughly one-fourth of the approximately 1,600 University Honors students live in one of the two University Honors residential halls, the Honors Residential College located in East Ambler-Johnston and the [[Hillcrest Honors Community]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Admissions to Honors, University Honors, Virginia Tech |url=http://www.univhonors.vt.edu/html/admissions.html |publisher=University Honors |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314000201/http://www.univhonors.vt.edu/html/admissions.html |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |access-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref>

For the 2013–14 academic year, the Graduate School at Virginia Tech enrolled 6,723 graduate students (4,465 full-time; 2,258 part-time) in its masters and doctoral programs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech at-a-glance |url=http://www.ir.vt.edu/work_we_do/AtAGlance/at_a_glance.html |year=2013 |publisher=Virginia Tech Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314000329/http://www.ir.vt.edu/work_we_do/AtAGlance/at_a_glance.html |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |access-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref>

The Pamplin College of Business received 381 applications for its incoming Evening MBA program and offered admission to 142. The class's average GMAT was 610, and mean undergraduate GPA was 3.4.<ref>{{cite web |title=Class statistics, Pamplin College of Business |url=http://www.mba.vt.edu/evening/student-profile.php |year=2015 |publisher=Pamplin College of Business |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151102104304/http://www.mba.vt.edu/evening/student-profile.php |archive-date=November 2, 2015 |access-date=November 1, 2015 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, Va., received 4,403 applications for its eighth incoming class, the class of 2021, and offered admission to 42. The class's MCAT scores range was 503–520 (median 512, mean 512), and mean undergraduate GPA was 3.57.<ref>"Class Statistics." Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, medicine.vtc.vt.edu/admissions/class-statistics.html.</ref>

In 2023, Virginia Tech became the second public university to end its use of [[Legacy preferences|legacy admissions]], after the U.S. Supreme Court decided ''[[Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard]]'', banning [[Affirmative action in the United States|affirmative action]] in college admissions.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=Liam |date=August 1, 2023 |title=Virginia Tech Ends Legacy Admissions, Early Decision |url=https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2023/08/01/virginia-tech-ends-legacy-admissions-and-early-decision |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=[[Inside Higher Ed]] |language=en}}</ref> The university also ended its binding early decision program because it "created unneeded pressure on students [...] particularly those needing financial aid".<ref name=":0" />

==Rankings==
{{Infobox US university ranking
| THE_WSJ = 19
| USNWR_NU = 51
| USNWR_W = 281 (tie)
| QS_W = 358 (tie)
| THES_W = 251–300
| Wamo_NU = 28
| Forbes = 82
| ARWU_W = 201–300
}}
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="width: 22em;"
|+ USNWR professional/grad rankings<ref name="rankingsandreviews.com">{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Graduate School Rankings |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university-233921/overall-rankings |access-date=June 17, 2025 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |archive-date=September 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190922011952/https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university-233921/overall-rankings |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| Biological Sciences
| 119
|-
| Chemistry
| 67
|-
| Clinical Psychology
| 71
|-
| Computer Science
| 35
|-
| Earth Sciences
| 33
|-
| Economics
| 68
|-
| Education
| 90
|-
| Engineering
| 31
|-
| English
| 80
|-
| Mathematics
| 51
|-
| Physics
| 50
|-
| Psychology
| 71
|-
| Public Affairs
| 56
|-
| Public Health
| 99
|-
| Sociology
| 76
|-
| Statistics
| 37
|-
| Veterinary Medicine
| 18
|}
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="width: 22em;"
|+ USNWR Engineering grad rankings<ref name="rankingsandreviews.com" />
|-
| Biological/Agricultural
| 9
|-
| Civil 
| 9
|-
| Environmental/ Environmental Health 
| 4
|-
| Industrial/Manufacturing/Systems 
| 7
|}
{| class="wikitable floatright" style="width: 22em;"
|+ USNWR global ranking<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Global Universities Rankings |url=https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/virginia-tech-233921 |access-date=September 27, 2020 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report |archive-date=March 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313093734/https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/virginia-tech-233921 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| Agricultural Sciences
| 136
|-
| Arts & Humanities
| 247
|-
| Biology & Biochemistry
| 256
|-
| Chemistry
| 269
|-
| Civil Engineering
| 79
|-
| Clinical Medicine
| 593
|-
| Computer Science
| 58
|-
| Economics & Business
| 198
|-
| Electrical & Electronic Engineering
| 48
|-
| Engineering
| 69
|-
| Environment/Ecology
| 161
|-
| Geosciences
| 158
|-
| Materials Science
| 263
|-
| Mathematics
| 241
|-
| Mechanical Engineering
| 70
|-
| Microbiology
| 130
|-
| Molecular Biology & Genetics
| 378
|-
| Physics
| 389
|-
| Plant & Animal Science
| 87
|-
| Social Sciences & Public Health
| 156
|-
| Space Science
| 225
|}

In ''[[U.S. News & World Report]]''{{'}}s list of "2024 Best Colleges", Virginia Tech tied for 47th overall among national universities, tied for 20th among public ones, tied at 25th for "Most Innovative", ranked 156th in "Best Value Schools", and tied for 207th in "Top Performers on Social Mobility".<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Rankings |url=https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/virginia-tech-3754 |access-date=October 24, 2023 |magazine=U.S. News & World Report}}</ref>

The [[Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business|Pamplin College of Business]]'s part-time MBA program was tied for 19th overall by ''U.S. News & World Report'' in 2020.<ref name="rankingsandreviews.com" /> The Master of Information Technology program, jointly sponsored by the Pamplin College of Business and the College of Engineering, is ranked No. 4 in ''U.S. News & World Report''{{'}}s Best Online Graduate Computer Information Technology Programs.<ref name="InfoTech">{{cite web |title=Best Online Master's in Information Technology Programs |url=https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/computer-information-technology/rankings |access-date=September 27, 2020 |archive-date=August 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200822121209/https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/computer-information-technology/rankings |url-status=live }}</ref> This interdisciplinary program is offered entirely online.<ref name="InfoTech" />

Programs in the [[Virginia Tech College of Architecture and Urban Studies|College of Architecture and Urban Studies (CAUS)]] include architecture + design, landscape architecture, urban planning, and public administration. In its 2016 "America's Best Architecture & Design Schools" report, ''DesignIntelligence'' ranked the undergraduate architecture program 3rd nationally among both public and private universities. The graduate architecture program ranked 9th in the nation.<ref>{{cite web |title=2016 DesignIntelligence Rankings |url=http://archdesign.vt.edu/news/2015-16/1601 |date=November 15, 2015 |publisher=School of Architecture + Design |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527044925/http://archdesign.vt.edu/news/2015-16/1601 |archive-date=May 27, 2016 |access-date=May 11, 2016}}</ref> For 2013, ''DesignIntelligence'' ranked the university's undergraduate and graduate landscape architecture programs No. 2 in the nation. In addition, ''DesignIntelligence'' ranked the university's undergraduate interior design program 6th and undergraduate industrial design program 3rd.<ref>{{cite web |title=2013 DesignIntelligence Rankings |url=http://archdesign.vt.edu/news/2012-13/1313 |date=November 15, 2013 |publisher=School of Architecture + Design |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603123538/http://archdesign.vt.edu/news/2012-13/1313 |archive-date=June 3, 2016 |access-date=May 11, 2016}}</ref> The Planetizen 2012 Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs ranked Virginia Tech's MURP program as 19th. Virginia Tech's MURP program was also rated among the best programs in Technology, Land Use Planning, Environmental Planning, and Growth Management.<ref>{{cite web |title=Planetizen Overall Top 25 |url=http://www.planning.calpoly.edu/prospective/documents/V-03d%20Planetizen%202012.pdf |website=Planetizen Guide |publisher=[[Planetizen]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130319020921/http://www.planning.calpoly.edu/prospective/documents/V-03d%20Planetizen%202012.pdf |archive-date=March 19, 2013 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

''[[Kiplinger's Personal Finance]]'' places Virginia Tech 20th in its 2019 ranking of 174 best value public colleges in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=College Finder |url=https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/school/9544/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/ |date=July 2019 |publisher=Kiplinger's Personal Finance |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013184614/https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/school/9544/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/ |archive-date=October 13, 2019 |access-date=October 4, 2019}}</ref> In 2018, ''CEOWORLD magazine'' ranked the undergraduate architecture program 3rd nationally.<ref>{{cite web |title=CEOWORLD magazine Ranks Virginia Tech among Best Universities to Study Architecture and Interior Design in America for 2018 |url=http://archdesign.vt.edu/news/2017-18/CEOWorld_rankings |date=January 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174644/http://archdesign.vt.edu/news/2017-18/CEOWorld_rankings |archive-date=January 10, 2018 |access-date=January 10, 2018 |magazine=CEOWORLD magazine}}</ref> The graduate architecture program ranked 14th.<ref>{{cite web |title=Best Universities To Study Architecture And Interior Design In America, 2018 |url=http://ceoworld.biz/best-universities-to-study-architecture-and-interior-design-in-america-2018/ |date=January 2018 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110174751/http://ceoworld.biz/best-universities-to-study-architecture-and-interior-design-in-america-2018/ |archive-date=January 10, 2018 |access-date=January 10, 2018 |magazine=CEOWORLD magazine}}</ref>

===Student affairs rankings===
Virginia Tech received the following rankings from [[The Princeton Review]] in its 2025 ''Best Colleges'' Rankings:<ref name="Virginia Tech">{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech |url=http://www.princetonreview.com/schools/1022823/college/virginia-tech |publisher=[[The Princeton Review]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829035422/http://www.princetonreview.com/schools/1022823/college/virginia-tech |archive-date=August 29, 2016 |access-date=June 27, 2025}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Category
! Ranking
|-
|Best Alumni Network (Public Schools)
|2
|-
|Their Students Love These Colleges
|5
|-
|Best Career Placement (Public)
|8
|-
|Best Student Support and Counseling Services
|8
|-
|Best Campus Food
|10
|-
|Best Schools for Making an Impact (Public)
|10
|-
|Most Engaged in Community Service
|14
|-
|Best Schools for Internships (Public)
|17
|-
|Town-Gown Relations are Great
|17
|-
|Best Value Colleges without Aid (Public)
|19
|-
|Lots of Greek Life
|20
|-
|Best Value Colleges (Public)
|39
|}

==Research==
[[File:Burruss Hall, Virginia Tech.JPG|thumb|right|Burruss Hall houses the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation.]][[File:Bishop-Favrao Hall.jpg|thumb|right|Bishop-Favrao Hall]]
Virginia Tech's research and development expenditures (R&D) were $542 million in fiscal year 2019, which ranked 48th among education institutions in the nation and 2nd in the state of Virginia according to the [[National Science Foundation]].<ref name="R&D">{{cite web |title=Rankings by total R&D expenditures |url=https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf21314#general-notes |publisher=National Science Foundation |language=en |archive-date=August 4, 2021 |access-date=2021-02-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804134917/https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf21314#general-notes |url-status=live }}</ref> As a result, Virginia Tech marked its 15th consecutive year of research growth, with the university's research portfolio more than doubling from $192.7 million in fiscal year 2000. The only Virginia institution in the top 50 of the NSF's rankings for research expenditures, Virginia Tech is No. 23 among public universities. The university's research expenditures rank it in the top 5 percent of more than 900 research universities and colleges. Each year, the university receives thousands of awards to conduct research from an ever-expanding base of sponsors. Researchers pursue new discoveries in agriculture, biotechnology, information and communication technology, human health, transportation, energy management (including leadership in fuel-cell technology and power electronics), security, sustainability, and a wide range of other engineering, scientific, social science, and creative fields. This research led to 36 patents and 17 license and option agreements in fiscal year 2013.<ref name="FF2013-14">{{cite web |title=University Facts & Figures, 2013–14 |url=http://www.vt.edu/about/facts-figures-2014.pdf |publisher=Virginia Tech Office of University Relations, Marketing and Publications |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122075931/http://www.vt.edu/about/facts-figures-2014.pdf |archive-date=January 22, 2014 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>{{rp|5}}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Research expenditures, fiscal years 2009–2017<ref name="R&D" />
|-
! scope="row" | 2009
| $399 million
|-
! scope="row" | 2011
| $450 million
|-
! scope="row" | 2013
| $496 million
|-
! scope="row" | 2015
| $504 million
|-
! scope="row" | 2017
| $522 million
|}

===Fralin Life Science Institute===
The Fralin Life Science Institute is an expansion of the Fralin Biotechnology Center, which was established in 1991,<ref>{{cite web |title=Fralin Life Science Institute |url=http://www.fralin.vt.edu |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906005359/http://fralin.vt.edu/ |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> and is one of four investment institutes at the university. The expansion was established in 2008. Research at the institute is focused on the areas of vector-borne disease; infectious disease and microbial sciences; plant sciences; obesity; cancer biology; and ecology and organismal biology.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Research Institutes of Virginia Tech |url=http://www.research.vt.edu/institutes/ |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314000504/http://www.research.vt.edu/institutes/ |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |access-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref>

Their research strategic priority areas are research ecosystem, people, research opportunities, and research background.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=https://fralinlifesci.vt.edu/about.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=fralinlifesci.vt.edu |language=en}}</ref> The institute’s main office and laboratory is currently situated in Steger Hall, in Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg campus.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fralin Home Page |url=https://fralinlifesci.vt.edu/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=fralinlifesci.vt.edu |language=en}}</ref> Fralin oversees five buildings on Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg Campus in total. Supporting research centers affiliated with the Institute include the Translational Plant Science Center, the Global Change Center, and the Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens.[[File:Steger_Hall.jpg|thumb|The front of Steger Hall: Fralin Life Sciences Institute]]The institute provides multiple opportunities for undergraduate research, including the First-Year Fralin Undergraduate program, Fralin Undergraduate Research Fellowship, and Fralin Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Undergraduate Programs |url=https://fralinlifesci.vt.edu/undergraduate-programs.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=fralinlifesci.vt.edu |language=en}}</ref>

===Virginia Tech Transportation Institute===
{{see also|Virginia Smart Road}}
[[File:Virginia Tech skipper crew.jpg|thumb|Virginia Tech Skipper Crew]]
The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) was founded as the Center for Transportation Research in 1988 and employs more than 350 personnel. VTTI has more than $125 million in active research awards, and has a mission to save lives, save time, save money, and protect the [[Natural environment|environment]]. It is the second largest university-level transportation institute in the [[United States]], and the largest group of driving safety researchers in the world. Facilities include the {{convert|2.2|mi|km|adj=on}}, two-lane, fully instrumented [[Virginia Smart Road]]; connected-vehicle test beds in Southwest and Northern Virginia; more than 83,000 square feet of office and laboratory space; the VTTI/Center for Injury Biomechanics Crash Sled Lab; and the National Tire Research Center in Southern Virginia.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite web |title=Factbook: Measures of Excellence – Virginia Tech – Virginia Tech |url=http://www.vt.edu/about/factbook/measures-excellence.html |date=November 20, 2007 |website=vt.edu |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120020748/http://www.vt.edu/about/factbook/measures-excellence.html |archive-date=November 20, 2015 |access-date=November 21, 2015 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> These laboratories include an asphalt lab, fully equipped garages, instrumentation bays, and a machine shop for working on VTTI's vehicle fleet.<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Transportation Institute: Virginia Smart Road |url=http://www.vtti.vt.edu/smart-road/virginia-smart-road.html |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130507081626/http://www.vtti.vt.edu/smart-road/virginia-smart-road.html |archive-date=May 7, 2013 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

VTTI develops and tests advanced transportation safety devices, techniques, and innovative applications. VTTI's research impacts public policy in transportation, notably through research into distracted driving<ref>{{cite web |title=The Dangers of Texting While Driving |date=February 14, 2011 |url=http://www.fcc.gov/guides/texting-while-driving |publisher=[[FCC]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906061613/https://www.fcc.gov/guides/texting-while-driving |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> and commercial hour-of-service.<ref>{{cite web |title=Senate Hearing 110–1140: Oversight of the Federal Truck Driver Hours-of-service Rules and Truck Safety |url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110shrg74983/html/CHRG-110shrg74983.htm |date=December 19, 2007 |publisher=[[US Government Printing Office]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924052643/http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110shrg74983/html/CHRG-110shrg74983.htm |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

VTTI conducts applied research to address transportation challenges from various perspectives: vehicle, driver, infrastructure, materials, and environment.<ref name="AboutVT" /> Most notable among VTTI endeavors are its naturalistic driving studies. These studies particularly utilize VTTI's data acquisition systems, which gather continuous video and driving performance data in real-world driving conditions. These systems have been installed in nearly 4,000 passenger vehicles, commercial trucks and motor coaches, and motorcycles.<ref name="VTTI">{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Transportation Institute: About Us |url=http://www.vtti.vt.edu/about/about-vtti.html |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905182941/http://www.vtti.vt.edu/about/about-vtti.html |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

===Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science===
Since 2005, the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) has made efforts to build capacity at the intersection of engineering, science, biology, and the humanities. Thrust areas include nuclear engineering, nanoscale science and engineering, nano-bio interface, sustainable energy, safe and sustainable water, national security, cognition and communication systems, renewable materials, and emerging technologies.<ref name="AboutVT" />

===Other areas of research===
Other research conducted throughout the university's colleges and interdisciplinary groups includes high-performance computing; advanced materials; wireless telecommunication; housing; human and animal health; cognition, development, and behavior; the environment; and energy, including power electronics, biofuels, fuel cells, and solar-powered building structures.<ref>{{cite web |title=Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation at Virginia Tech |url=http://www.research.vt.edu/ |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314093116/http://www.research.vt.edu/ |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |access-date=March 13, 2014}}</ref>
* The [[Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering & Sciences|School of Biomedical Engineering & Sciences]] partners with the [[Virginia Tech College of Engineering|College of Engineering]], [[Wake Forest University School of Medicine]], and the [[Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine|College of Veterinary Medicine]]. Virginia Tech's research includes biomechanics, cellular transport, computational modeling, biomaterials, bioheat and mass transfer, biofluid mechanics, instrumentation, ergonomics, and tissue engineering.
* Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc. (VTIP) was established in 1985 as a nonprofit corporation to support the mission of the university by protecting and licensing intellectual properties that result from research performed by Virginia Tech faculty, staff members, and students. During fiscal year 2012, 17 U.S. patents and six foreign patents were issued to VTIP, and 32 license and option agreements were signed. In addition, VTIP reported $2,269,991 in license revenue.<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties Inc. |url=https://www.research.vt.edu/sites/research.vt.edu/files/2012AR-vtip.pdf |publisher=Virginia Tech |page=21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513205755/https://www.research.vt.edu/sites/research.vt.edu/files/2012AR-vtip.pdf |archive-date=May 13, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
* The Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation (VT-ARC) is a private [[nonprofit]] [[corporation]] affiliated with Virginia Tech that was established in fall 2010. With offices in [[Northern Virginia]] and Blacksburg, VT-ARC fosters applied research and development, and management of large contract research projects. VT-ARC researches in [[intelligence]], [[cyber security]] and [[information technology]], [[national security]], [[energy]], and [[health care]].<ref name="autogenerated1" />
* The [[Virginia Cooperative Extension]] programs are delivered through a network of faculty, 107 county and city offices, 11 agricultural research and Extension centers, and six 4-H educational centers. The system incorporates the faculty at the [[Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences|College of Agriculture and Life Sciences]] and through research and Extension efforts, the college helped elevate the state's agricultural exports to record numbers. In 2013, exports in the [[Commonwealth of Virginia]] reached $2.85 billion.<ref name="autogenerated1" />
* The [[Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center]] (VTCRC) is home to over 170 research, technology and support companies. The {{convert|230|acre|adj=on}} park is located in a mountain setting. An expansion on the northwest side of the park provides enough land to construct 15 buildings in addition to the 33 single- and multi-tenant buildings currently on-site. The VTCRC employs over 2,900 employees.<ref>{{cite web |title=About |url=http://www.vtcrc.com/about/ |website=vtcrc.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121183416/http://www.vtcrc.com/about/ |archive-date=November 21, 2015 |access-date=November 21, 2015}}</ref>
* The [[Virginia Tech Institute for Policy and Governance]] is a nonprofit and public sector research and outreach institute for the university.
* The Center for Modeling Immunity to Enteric Pathogens is a [[National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases]] (NIAID)-funded program to model immune responses to gut pathogens.
* The Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute (LCI) provides language-related programs and services for academic and professional development. The institute was started in the 1960s, when members of the Blacksburg chapter of the [[American Association of University Women]] decided to volunteer their time teaching English. The women held free classes in church basements or their own homes to help the spouses of international students and faculty members learn English. In 2014 LCI opened a new state-of-the-art learning center in [[Fairfax, Virginia]] that provides language-related programs and services for academic and professional development both on the main campus in Blacksburg and within the National Capital Region.<ref>{{cite web |title=Locations – National Capital Region – Virginia Tech |url=http://ncr.vt.edu/Locations/Fairfax.html |website=vt.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905060508/http://ncr.vt.edu/Locations/Fairfax.html |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |access-date=November 21, 2015}}</ref>
* The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC is in [[Roanoke, Virginia]] and is an integral component of the new medical research and education initiative embodied by the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Fralin Biomedical Research Institute.<ref name="research1">{{cite web |title=The Research Institutes of Virginia Tech |url=http://www.research.vt.edu/institutes/index.php |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100725072059/http://www.research.vt.edu/institutes/index.php |archive-date=July 25, 2010 |access-date=September 22, 2011}}</ref>
*The [[Hume Center for National Security and Technology]] conducts research in the areas of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and national security.
[[File:War Memorial Gym Virginia Tech.JPG|thumb|War Memorial Hall]]

==Campus==
{{Main|Virginia Tech campus}}

The [[Virginia Tech campus]] is in [[Blacksburg, Virginia]]. Most buildings are built of limestone in a neo-Gothic style. Notable green spaces include the Hahn Horticulture Garden, Virginia Tech Duck Pond, and the old-growth forest, Stadium Woods.
[[File:Seitz Hall Virginia Tech.JPG|thumb|Seitz Hall]]
The central campus is roughly bordered by Prices Fork Road to the northwest, Plantation Drive to the west, Main Street to the east, and US 460 Bypass to the south, though it has several thousand acres beyond the central campus.

In the center of the Blacksburg campus lies the Drillfield, a large oval field running northeast to southwest, encircled by a one-way street that is known as Drillfield Drive. The Drillfield's name, coined in 1926 after the completion of Virginia Tech's first real stadium, [[Miles Stadium]], stems from its use by the [[Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets]] to conduct military drills. A waterway, Stroubles Creek, runs beneath the Drillfield on the south side. A three-sided conduit for the creek that retains the natural bed of the creek was installed in 1934, and, in 1971, the first two asphalt walks were added.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Owens |first=Cody |date=February 11, 2013 |title=Sinking Drillfield rumors exposed |work=[[Collegiate Times]] |publisher=Virginia Tech |url=http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/virginia_tech/article_9ec48152-572e-5c05-99b9-c7ee4e391b66.html |url-status=live |access-date=September 11, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171106141844/http://www.collegiatetimes.com/news/virginia_tech/article_9ec48152-572e-5c05-99b9-c7ee4e391b66.html |archive-date=November 6, 2017}}</ref>

On the northwestern side of the Drillfield stand most of the university's academic and administrative buildings, including Burruss and McBryde Halls. On the southeastern side of the Drillfield stand most of the residential buildings, including students' residence halls, dining halls, and War Memorial Gym. Newman Library is on the eastern side of campus and connects to Torgersen Bridge, which spans the main road into campus, Alumni Mall. North of the Drillfield and northwest of Alumni Mall lies the Upper Quad, known to many students as military campus. The Upper Quad is home to the Corps of Cadets' barracks.

On the main campus in Blacksburg, most of the buildings incorporate [[Hokie Stone]] as a building material. In 2010, the board of visitors passed a resolution about using the gray stone, shaded by hues of brown and pink, in all building projects.<ref>{{cite web |title=All About Hokie Stone |url=http://www.vt.edu/about/traditions/hokie-stone.html |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140314091234/http://www.vt.edu/about/traditions/hokie-stone.html |archive-date=March 14, 2014 |access-date=March 14, 2014}}</ref>

{{wide image|Drill Field Virginia Tech.jpg|1500px|Panoramic view of Virginia Tech's Drillfield}}

===Extended campuses===
The university has established five branch campuses:<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Graduate School: Extended Campuses |url=http://graduateschool.vt.edu/extended_campuses |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529164923/http://graduateschool.vt.edu/extended_campuses |archive-date=May 29, 2014 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
* Virginia Tech [[Hampton Roads]] Centers, [[Newport News, Virginia|Newport News]] and [[Virginia Beach, Virginia|Virginia Beach]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to the Virginia Tech Hampton Roads Center |url=http://www.hrc.vt.edu/ |date=September 2013 |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527011918/http://www.hrc.vt.edu/ |archive-date=May 27, 2014 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
* Northern Virginia Center, [[Falls Church, Virginia|Falls Church]] (National Capital Region)<ref>{{cite web |title=Northern Virginia Center |url=http://www.nvc.vt.edu/ |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527012002/http://www.nvc.vt.edu/ |archive-date=May 27, 2014 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
* [[Virginia Tech Richmond Center]], [[Richmond, Virginia|Richmond]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Greetings from the Virginia Tech Richmond Center |url=http://www.richmond.vt.edu/ |date=September 2013 |website=Virginia Tech Richmond Center |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403055630/http://www.richmond.vt.edu/ |archive-date=April 3, 2014 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
* Virginia Tech Roanoke Center, [[Roanoke, Virginia|Roanoke]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech Roanoke Center |url=http://www.vtrc.vt.edu/ |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150821001341/http://www.vtrc.vt.edu/ |archive-date=August 21, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>
* Virginia Tech Southwest Center, [[Abingdon, Virginia|Abingdon]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Southwest Virginia Center Higher Education Center: About Us |url=http://www.swcenter.edu/about-us/ |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906043204/http://www.swcenter.edu/about-us/ |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

====Greater Washington D.C., Area<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://dcarea.vt.edu/ |access-date=2025-05-01 |website=dcarea.vt.edu |language=en}}</ref>====
[[File:Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Walkway in the Upper Quad at Virginia Tech]]Virginia Tech's presence in the [[Washington Metropolitan Area]] links regional graduate education and outreach programs that are consistent with the university's strategic research areas of excellence: energy materials and environment, social and individual transformation, health, food, and nutrition, and innovative technologies and complex systems.<ref name="AboutNRC">{{cite web |title=About the National Capital Region |url=http://www.ncr.vt.edu/About/index.html |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906140055/http://www.ncr.vt.edu/About/index.html |archive-date=September 6, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

Supporting the university's missions is the Virginia Tech National Capital Region. The university has established collaborations and partnerships with local and federal agencies, nonprofit research organizations, businesses, and other institutions of higher education. Current locations include [[Alexandria, Virginia|Alexandria]], [[Arlington, Virginia|Arlington]], [[Fairfax, Virginia|Fairfax]], [[Falls Church, Virginia|Falls Church]], [[Leesburg, Virginia|Leesburg]], [[Manassas, Virginia|Manassas]], and [[Middleburg, Virginia|Middleburg]].

Biomedical Technology Development and Management is an executive program in the National Capital Region. The Master of Science in Biomedical Technology Development and Management (BTDM) is a graduate level degree created by Virginia Tech in response to future directions in medical product discovery and development and the emerging needs of industry and regulatory agencies. Curriculum for the degree program integrates science with technology, management, ethics, and public policy, and draws on the strengths of Virginia Tech in science, industrial and systems engineering, business and management, and medical research programs.<ref>{{cite web |title=Biomedical Technology Development and Management |url=http://www.ncr.vt.edu/programs/GT.html |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905094212/http://www.ncr.vt.edu/Programs/GT.html |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref>

In 2014, the university opened a Language and Culture Institute location in Fairfax.<ref>{{cite web |title=Language and Culture Institute |url=http://www.lci.vt.edu |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905080059/https://www.lci.vt.edu/ |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> The institute offers intensive English language programs for college-age students, professionals, and diplomats.<ref>{{cite web |title=Language and Culture Institute: National Capital Region |url=https://www.lci.vt.edu/about-us/locations/national-capital-region |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905082650/https://www.lci.vt.edu/about-us/locations/national-capital-region/ |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===== Innovation campus =====
The Virginia Tech Innovation Campus is a development initiated by the university in 2018 located in Alexandria, Virginia’s Potomac Yard.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Virginia Tech {{!}} Our Downtown {{!}} National Landing |url=https://nationallanding.org/our-downtown/virginia-tech |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=nationallanding.org}}</ref> The campus is part of the Virginia Tech Greater Washington, D.C. Metro Area campuses, previously known as the Northern Virginia Center or National Capital Region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Innovation Campus Home |url=https://www.vt.edu/innovationcampus/index.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=vt.edu |language=en}}</ref> The campus currently offers only graduate-level degrees, including a Master’s in Engineering, Computer Science and Applications and a Master’s in Engineering, Computer Science.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Innovation Campus - A New Vision for Graduate Education |url=https://www.vt.edu/innovationcampus/about.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=vt.edu |language=en}}</ref> A fast-track partnership program that allows students to earn credits preemptively at approved universities is also available. These degree offerings highlight the major research focus areas of the campus, which include technological advancement related to artificial intelligence, wireless network systems, machine learning, software development, and quantum research and development.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Research Areas |url=https://www.vt.edu/innovationcampus/research-areas.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=vt.edu |language=en}}</ref> Plans for the campus’ program additions include the addition of higher level graduate degrees, such as doctoral programs.

The first major campus building, Innovation Campus Building One, finished construction in February 2025. It became open to the public as part of the campus grand opening ceremony.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Campus location and construction |url=https://www.vt.edu/innovationcampus/about/campus-location-and-construction.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=vt.edu |language=en}}</ref> Innovation Campus Building One is 300,000 square feet in area and 11 stories tall.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Montgomery |first=Mimi |date=2025-02-27 |title=Virginia Tech opens new Innovation Campus in Alexandria |url=https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/02/27/virginia-tech-opens-innovation-campus-alexandria |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=Axios |language=en}}</ref> The cost of the campus development is estimated at 1 billion dollars.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2018/11/13/virginia-tech-to-open-1b-innovation-campus-2-miles.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}</ref>
[[File:Amazon_HQ2_Announcement.jpg|thumb|299x299px|"Amazon HQ2 Announcement" by MDGovpics is licensed under CC BY 2.0.]]
Key financial partners and supporters for the campus construction and overall development include The Commonwealth of Virginia, The City of Alexandria, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing. Advisory board members hail from Hunch Analytics, Boeing, KPMG, Greater Washington Partnership, and Octo.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Innovation Campus Advisory Board Members |url=https://www.vt.edu/innovationcampus/about/advisory-board.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=vt.edu |language=en}}</ref> The Commonwealth of Virginia donated approximately 2 billion dollars to support university research and development by both Virginia Tech and George Mason University, subsequently impacting Amazon’s decision to build Amazon HQ2 headquarters in Arlington, Virginia just 2 miles from the Innovation Campus. Northrop Grumman’s donation totals 12.5 million dollars,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Northrop Grumman commits $12.5 million toward quantum research and education |url=https://news.vt.edu/articles/2021/11/northrup-quantum.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=news.vt.edu |language=en}}</ref> and Boeing’s donation totals 50 million dollars.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Boeing commits $50 million to innovation campus to become first foundational partner |url=https://news.vt.edu/articles/2021/05/innovation-campus-boeing-commitment.html |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=news.vt.edu |language=en}}</ref>

===International campuses===
====Caribbean Center for Education and Research (CCER)====
Located on the eastern tip of the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean Center for Education and Research (CCER) in Punta Cana provides a base for Virginia Tech faculty to conduct research as well as instruct students on biodiversity, environmental and social sustainability, global issues in natural resources, and hotel and tourism management. The center is the product of a partnership between Virginia Tech and the PUNTACANA Ecological Foundation (PCEF) and the PUNTACANA Resort and Club. PCEF maintains a {{convert|2,000|acre|adj=on}} natural forest reserve, {{convert|14|km}} of protected coral reef, freshwater lagoons and coastal mangroves.<ref name="International">{{cite web |title=Maps & Locations: Extended Campus Locations International Centers |url=http://www.vt.edu/where_we_are/extended.html |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121211130145/http://www.vt.edu/where_we_are/extended.html |archive-date=December 11, 2012 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}{{cite web |url=https://www.vt.edu/academics/index.html |title=Academic Programs &#124; Virginia Tech &#124; Virginia Tech |access-date=November 21, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151121161744/https://www.vt.edu/academics/index.html |archive-date=November 21, 2015}}</ref>

====Steger Center for International Scholarship====
Formerly known as the Center for European Studies and Architecture (CESA),<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech renames its primary facility abroad for former President Charles W. Steger |url=http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2014/06/062414-caus-stegercenter.html |last1=Raboteau |first1=Albert Jordy III |last2=Gehrt |first2=Katie |date=June 24, 2014 |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905114957/http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2014/06/062414-caus-stegercenter.html |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> the Steger Center is the university's European campus center and base for operations and support of its programs in the region. The center's location in [[Riva San Vitale]], [[Ticino]], the Italian-speaking [[canton of Switzerland]], is also close to major northern Italian cities such as [[Milan]].<ref name="International" />

===Agricultural Research and Extension Centers===
Virginia Tech has several agricultural research and extension centers located throughout the Commonwealth dedicated to improving agricultural practices and the quality of life of Virginia citizens. The Virginia Tech Agricultural Research and Extension Centers are: Alson H. Smith, Jr., Eastern Shore, Eastern Virginia, Hampton Roads, Middleburg, Reynolds Homestead, Shenandoah Valley, Southern Piedmont, Southwest Virginia, Tidewater, and Virginia Seafood.

===Power plant===
Distinguished by a towering 180-foot-high radial brick smokestack, the university's [[coal]] fired Central Steam Power Plant generates an annual steam output greater than 943 billion BTUs and provides campus buildings with a portion of their heat, hot water, and electricity needs. Nearly 90 percent of campus buildings are connected to the plant through an extensive network of tunnels—the main access point is on the Drillfield—and more than {{convert|6|mi|km|spell=in}} of steam lines and piping provide heat to more than 6.8 million square feet of campus buildings. Only personnel with [[Confined space|confined-space]] training are permitted to enter the tunnel system, comprising {{convert|2.76|mi}} of inaccessible tunnel and {{convert|11.07|mi}} of piping; {{convert|3.78|mi}} of direct-bury piping in the ground; and {{convert|2.2|mi}} of accessible tunnel and {{convert|12.27|mi}} of piping.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Conde |first=Rommelyn |date=Summer 2004 |title=Energizer: The power plant that powers Tech |url=http://www.vtmag.vt.edu/sum12/energizer.html |url-status=live |journal=VirginiaTech Magazine |volume=34 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150831171407/http://www.vtmag.vt.edu/sum12/energizer.html |archive-date=August 31, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015 |number=4}}</ref>

==Student life==
{| font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Student body composition as of May 2, 2023
|-
! Race and ethnicity<ref>{{cite web |title=College Scorecard: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?233921-Virginia-Polytechnic-Institute-and-State-University |publisher=[[United States Department of Education]] |access-date=May 8, 2022}}</ref>
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|60|%|2||background:gray}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|12|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|10|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| Other{{efn|Other consists of [[Multiracial Americans]] & those who prefer to not say.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|8|%|2||background:brown}}
|-
| [[Foreign national]]
|align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:orange}}
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
|align=right| {{bartable|6|%|2||background:mediumblue}}
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Economic diversity]]
|-
| [[American lower class|Low-income]]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal [[Pell grant]] intended for low-income students.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|15|%|2||background:red}}
|-
| [[Affluence in the United States|Affluent]]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the [[American middle class]] at the bare minimum.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|85|%|2||background:black}}
|}
[[File:Virginia Tech Main Eggleston Hall.jpg|thumb|Main Eggleston Hall]]
There are more than 700 student organizations on campus. Some of these organizations include Bolt at Virginia Tech which builds electric racing motorcycles; PRISM a student-run ad agency; BASIS at Virginia Tech the largest student-run fixed income portfolio group in the nation managing $5 million; the Chocolate Milk Club; and a [[Young Life]] Chapter. Over 9,300 Virginia Tech students reside on campus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Student Life, Living on and off Campus |url=https://vt.edu/student_life.html |website=Vt.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512014234/https://vt.edu/student_life.html |archive-date=May 12, 2018 |access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref>

=== Campus residence halls ===
{{Main|Campus of Virginia Tech}}

===Corps of Cadets===
[[File:Virginia Tech Corps marching.jpg|thumb|[[Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets]] marching]]
{{Main|Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets}}

Until 1923, every able-bodied male was required to participate for four years in the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets. The requirement was changed to two years until 1964, when participation became voluntary. Members of the ROTC program are required to participate in the Corps of Cadets. Virginia Tech remains one of three public universities in the United States with both an active corps of cadets and regular civilian students on its campus ([[Texas A&M University]] and the [[University of North Georgia]] are the other two).

More than 1,000 cadets reside on the campus of Virginia Tech. The Corps of Cadets Community is located in the Upper Quad, which features some of the oldest buildings on campus. Cadet dorms are also known as "cadet barracks". Two new dormitories were constructed on the Upper Quad to house all of the cadets. Pearson Hall replaced Rasche Hall in November 2015, and in August 2017, Brodie Hall was replaced by the New Cadet Dorm (a.k.a. "New Brodie").<ref>{{cite web |title=Brodie Hall demolition begins this week |url=http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2015/06/060815-vpa-brodiedemolition.html |last1=Spieldenner |first1=Bob |last2=Foy |first2=Bill |date=June 8, 2015 |publisher=Virginia Tech |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905072245/http://www.vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2015/06/060815-vpa-brodiedemolition.html |archive-date=September 5, 2015 |access-date=September 11, 2015}}</ref> Former cadet dorms, Thomas Hall and Monteith Hall were demolished in 2017. Their sites are planned to be used as [[Open space reserve|green space]] for the foreseeable future.

===Greek life===
Virginia Tech hosts a number of fraternities and sororities across four governing councils. There are 23 IFC fraternities and 13 [[National Panhellenic Conference]] sororities recognized at Virginia Tech. The fraternity and sorority community currently encompasses more than 5,500 students which represents just about 20 percent of the undergraduate population.<ref name=":1" /> The Oak Lane Community<ref>{{cite web |title=Oak Lane Community Guide |url=https://fsl.vt.edu/housing_information/Oak_Lane_Community_Guide.html |website=Fsl.vt.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412082139/https://fsl.vt.edu/housing_information/Oak_Lane_Community_Guide.html |archive-date=April 12, 2018 |access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref> houses those sororities and fraternities which have houses chartered on campus. A number of fraternities have chartered off-campus housing. There are also numerous other academic and service-related sororities and fraternities at the school, as well as various historically Black and cultural interest organizations.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |title=Fraternity and Sorority Life |url=https://fsl.vt.edu/ |website=Fsl.vt.edu |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180429014522/https://fsl.vt.edu/ |archive-date=April 29, 2018 |access-date=May 9, 2018}}</ref>

There are also a number of fraternities at Virginia Tech that are not officially recognized by the university.

=== Clubs and student activities ===
Alongside fraternity and sorority life, Virginia Tech offers a variety of clubs and activities officially endorsed by the university. The university claims 800 official clubs as part of its student life and the Student Engagement and Campus Life office as a hub for information on said clubs. A website titled Gobblerconnect is often used by students to find clubs to take part in, while every year the campus holds a "Gobblerfest" where clubs showcase their activities to potential freshmen members.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vt.edu/campus-life/clubs-organizations-involvement.html |title=Clubs, Organizations, and Involvement |website=Virginia Tech}}</ref>

Notable among these are student-lead production oriented clubs, such as radio station [[WUVT-FM]], newspaper ''[[The Collegiate Times]]'', and literary magazine ''Silhouette''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://liberalarts.vt.edu/news/articles/2023/11/silhouette-magazine.html |title=Student-led magazine thrives through the power of human expression |last=Sawyers |first=Jacob |date=November 28, 2023 |website=Virginia Tech}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.collegiatetimes.com/lifestyles/wuvt-s-spring-radiothon-returns-with-fresh-tunes-and-dynamic-djs/article_fe0c4668-a5ea-11eb-9d5d-cbb18505e501.html |title=WUVT's spring Radiothon returns with fresh tunes and dynamic DJs |last=Dye|first=Molly|date=April 25, 2021 |website=[[The Collegiate Times]]}}</ref>

=== Cultural and community centers ===
[[File:Squires_Student_Center_Directory.jpg|thumb|The Squires Student Center directory]]
The Virginia Tech cultural and community centers are designated physical spaces in the Squires Student Center. There are five centers: the Black Cultural Center, the Ati:Wa:Oki Indigenous Community Center, El Centro, the Pride Center, and the APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American)+ Center.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cultural and Community Centers |url=https://ccc.vt.edu/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=ccc.vt.edu |language=en}}</ref> The Black Cultural Center is the longest-standing center, having opened in 1991, and the APIDA+ Center is the newest center, opening in 2019. All of the centers serve as inclusive spaces to the community and offer a variety of educational and support resources as well as various programming and events throughout the school year. Typical programming and events include speaker series, free learning lunches, identity-based support groups, artistic performances, cultural celebrations, holiday celebrations, and achievement ceremonies. In 2023, Virginia Tech was designated as an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions Program {{!}} U.S. Department of Education |url=https://www.ed.gov/grants-and-programs/grants-special-populations/grants-native-alaskan-pacific/asian-american-and-native-american-pacific-islander-serving-institutions-program#past-awards |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.ed.gov |language=en}}</ref> Virginia Tech is the fourth higher education institute in the commonwealth of Virginia to be designated as an AANAPISI. It is estimated that around 12% of students at Virginia Tech identify as AANAPI, exceeding the 10% requirement set by the grant.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-19 |title=Asians at Virginia Tech: Recovering an Institutional History of Asians in Appalachia through Intra-Institutional Networks – CFSHRC |url=https://cfshrc.org/article/asians-at-virginia-tech-recovering-an-institutional-history-of-asians-in-appalachia-through-intra-institutional-networks/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |language=en-US}}</ref> AANAPISI is a Minority Serving Institution designation and grant implemented by the United States Department of Education. The grant program aims to expand access, opportunity, and scholarship for Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander students. The AANAPISI grant at Virginia Tech directly supports the programming efforts of the APIDA+ Center.

==== Diversity, equity, and inclusion ====
[[File:Virginia_Tech_Protest.jpg|thumb|261x261px|Virginia Tech campus protest, March 25, 2025]]
As of March 2025, Virginia Tech eliminated its Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and removed the affiliated websites. This action was prompted after a federal executive order enacted by the [[Second presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]] in January demanded the elimination of DEI programs from all schools under the threat of pulling federal funding,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-21 |title=Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing |url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/ |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=The White House |language=en-US}}</ref> along with the “Dear Colleague Letter” released by the Department of Education.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-01 |title=U.S. Department of Education Releases Frequently Asked Questions on Dear Colleague Letter About Racial Preferencing {{!}} U.S. Department of Education |url=https://www.ed.gov/about/news/press-release/us-department-of-education-releases-frequently-asked-questions-dear-colleague-letter-about-racial-preferencing |access-date=2025-05-13 |website=www.ed.gov |language=en}}</ref> The Virginia Tech Board of Visitors voted to remove the office on March 25, 2025, inciting backlash in the community. A marching protest on the Blacksburg campus occurred on the same day in response.

== Athletics ==
{{Main|Virginia Tech Hokies}}
[[File:Virginia Tech Hokies logo.svg|thumb|right|Stylized "VT" logo]]
[[File:VirginiaTechWordmark.png|thumb|Virginia Tech athletic font]]

Virginia Tech teams are known as the Hokies. The [[HokieBird]] is a [[turkey (bird)|turkey]]-like creature whose form has evolved from the original school mascot of the [[Fighting Gobbler]]. While the modern HokieBird still resembles a Fighting Gobbler, the word "Hokie" has all but replaced Fighting Gobbler in terms of colloquial use. The term originated from the ''[[Old Hokie]]'' yell.

They compete as a member of the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) [[NCAA Division I|Division I]] level (Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) sub-level for football), primarily competing in the [[Atlantic Coast Conference]] (ACC) for all sports since the 2004–05 season. The Hokies previously competed in the [[Big East Conference (1979–2013)|Big East Conference]] from 2000–01 to 2003–04 (football program from 1991–92 to 1999–2000); the [[Atlantic 10 Conference]] (A-10) from 1995–96 to 1999–2000; and the [[Metro Conference]] from 1978–79 to 1994–95.

Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field and wrestling. Women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field and volleyball.

Virginia Tech's [[fight song]], "[[Tech Triumph]]", was written in 1919 and remains in use today. The song is played at sporting events by both the Virginia Tech student band, [[The Marching Virginians]], and the regimental Corps of Cadets' band, the [[Highty Tighties]].

The most prominent athletic facilities are [[Lane Stadium]], [[Cassell Coliseum]], [[English Field]], Thompson Field, Tech Softball Park, Rector Field House, the Beamer-Lawson Indoor Practice Facility, and the Christiansburg Aquatic Center.

{{wide image|2016 Lane Stadium Panoramic.jpg|1000px|Lane Stadium}}
<gallery widths="130" heights="130">
File:Cassell Coliseum wide shot.jpg|Cassell Coliseum
File:VT Lacrosse and Soccer Stadium.JPG|Thompson Field
<!-- Deleted image removed: File:VT Tech Softball Park.jpeg|Tech Softball Park -->
<!-- Deleted image removed: File:VT Rector Field House.jpg|Rector Field House -->
<!-- Deleted image removed: File:VT Beamer-Lawson.png|Beamer-Lawson Indoor Practice Facility -->
</gallery>

==People==

===Faculty===

Notable current and former faculty at Virginia Tech include [[Romesh Batra]] (engineering science and mechanics), [[Patricia Dove]] (geosciences), [[Marc Edwards (professor)|Marc Edwards]] (civil and environmental engineering), [[Roger Ekirch]] (history), [[Nikki Giovanni]] (English), [[Michael Hochella]] (geosciences),  [[Liviu Librescu]] (engineering science and mechanics), [[Tim Luke]] (political science), [[Linsey Marr]] (civil and environmental engineering), [[Xiang-Jin Meng]] (virology), [[Arun Phadke]] (electrical engineering), [[Sanjay Raman]] (electrical engineering), [[James I. Robertson Jr.|James Robertson]] (history), [[Arthur Squires]] (chemical engineering), [[James Thorp]] (electrical engineering), [[John J. Tyson|John Tyson]] (biology), and [[Gary Wamsley]] (public administration).

There have been 17 university heads for Virginia Tech since its founding in 1872. The current president is [[Timothy Sands]] (previously provost of [[Purdue University]]), who has held the post since 2014.
{| font-size:80%;"
! Virginia Tech presidents<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Presidents and Bios, Virginia Tech |url=https://www.president.vt.edu/about-the-office/presidents.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222052119/https://www.president.vt.edu/about-the-office/presidents.html |archive-date=December 22, 2017 |access-date=December 19, 2017 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>
|-
| scope="row" | [[Charles Landon Carter Minor]]
| 1872–1879
|-
| scope="row" | [[Scott Shipp|Charles Robert Scott Ship]]
| 1880
|-
| scope="row" | [[John Lee Buchanan]]
| 1880–1881
|-
| scope="row" | [[Thomas Nelson Conrad]]
| 1882–1886
|-
| scope="row" | [[Lunsford Lindsay Lomax]]
| 1886–1891
|-
| scope="row" | [[John McLaren McBryde]]
| 1891–1907
|-
| scope="row" | [[Paul Brandon Barringer]]
| 1907–1913
|-
| scope="row" | [[Joseph Dupuy Eggleston]]
| 1913–1919
|-
| scope="row" | [[Julian Ashby Burruss]]
| 1919–1945
|-
| scope="row" | [[John Redd Hutcheson]]
| 1945–1947
|-
| scope="row" | [[Walter Stephenson Newman]]
| 1947–1962
|-
| scope="row" | [[T. Marshall Hahn|Thomas Marshall Hahn Jr.]]
| 1962–1974
|-
| scope="row" | [[William Edward Lavery]]
| 1975–1987
|-
| scope="row" | [[James Douglas McComas]]
| 1988–1994
|-
| scope="row" | [[Paul Ernest Torgersen]]
| 1993–2000
|-
| scope="row" | [[Charles W. Steger|Charles William Steger]]
| 2000–2014
|-
| scope="row" | [[Timothy D. Sands|Timothy David Sands]]
| 2014–present
|}

===Alumni===
{{Main|List of Virginia Tech alumni}}

Virginia Tech has over 240,000 alumni internationally and from all 50 states. The Virginia Tech Alumni Association has over 100 chapters and has been consistently regarded as one of the best in the nation.<ref name="Virginia Tech"/><ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech |url=https://www.princetonreview.com/college/virginia-tech-1022823 |publisher=[[The Princeton Review]] |access-date=11 July 2022}}</ref> VT alumni include 2 [[Rhodes Scholars]], 4 [[Marshall Scholars]], 38 [[Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship|Goldwater Scholars]], and 131 [[Fulbright Scholars]].{{efn|Virginia Tech students have received 66 Fulbright student awards,<ref>{{cite web |title=Fulbright Student Program |url=https://www.globaleducation.vt.edu/fulbright/studentscholars-fulbright.html |website=Global Education Office |publisher=Virginia Tech |access-date=13 July 2022}}</ref> for a total of 197.}}<ref>{{cite web |title=National Scholarships |url=https://honorscollege.vt.edu/Scholarships/national.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726044123/https://honorscollege.vt.edu/Scholarships/national.html |archive-date=July 26, 2021 |access-date=July 26, 2021 |website=HonorsCollege.vt.edu |publisher=Virginia Tech}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |url=https://fulbrightscholars.org/institution/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university |access-date=13 July 2022 |website=Fulbright Scholar Program Directory |publisher=U.S. Department of State}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Tech |url=https://fulbrightscholars.org/institution/virginia-tech-university |access-date=13 July 2022 |website=Fulbright Scholar Program Directory |publisher=U.S. Department of State}}</ref> Among its alumni are 8 [[Medal of Honor]] recipients, 97 [[general officer|generals]] and [[admiral]]s, governors of two U.S. states, 2 astronauts, and a billionaire.<ref>{{cite web |title=War Memorial Court: Medal of Honor Recipients |url=https://vt.edu/about/locations/buildings/war-memorial-chapel-honor.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210803112210/https://vt.edu/about/locations/buildings/war-memorial-chapel-honor.html |archive-date=August 3, 2021 |access-date=July 26, 2021 |website=VT.edu |publisher=Virginia Tech}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=GENERALS & FLAG OFFICERS OF VIRGINIA TECH, 1883–1984 |url=https://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/exhibits/show/archives-125th/vtcc-index/vtcc-generals-flag-officer |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726044121/https://digitalsc.lib.vt.edu/exhibits/show/archives-125th/vtcc-index/vtcc-generals-flag-officer |archive-date=July 26, 2021 |access-date=July 26, 2021 |website=DigitalSC.lib.vt.edu |publisher=Virginia Tech University Libraries}}</ref> Three [[Nobel laureates]] and two [[MacArthur Fellows]] have received a degree or served as faculty members at the university.

One of six senior military colleges in the United States, Virginia Tech has produced numerous military leaders, among them 97 generals and admirals, including [[Carlton D. Everhart II]], Commander, [[Air Mobility Command]]; [[Thomas C. Richards]], Chief of Staff, [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe]]; [[Lance L. Smith]], Commander, [[United States Joint Forces Command]]; [[Jody A. Breckenridge]], Commander, [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] Pacific Area; [[William G. Boykin]], Deputy [[Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence]], Commander, [[John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center]]; and [[Wallace H. Robinson]], Director, [[Defense Supply Agency]].

Eight alumni have been awarded the [[Medal of Honor]], the highest award bestowed by the United States armed forces: [[Antoine August Michel Gaujot]], [[Julien Edmund Victor Gaujot]], [[Earle Davis Gregory]], [[Herbert Joseph Thomas]], [[Jimmie W. Monteith]], [[Robert Edward Femoyer]], [[Richard Thomas Shea, Jr.]], [[Gary Lee Miller]]; their names are inscribed on a marble cenotaph at the center of War Memorial Court on the Blacksburg campus.<ref>{{cite web |title=War Memorial Court: Medal of Honor Recipients |url=https://vt.edu/about/locations/buildings/war-memorial-chapel-honor.html |publisher=Virginia Tech |access-date=11 July 2022}}</ref>

Many VT alumni have also served in civilian leadership roles: [[Chet Culver]], 41st governor of Iowa; [[William Dodd (ambassador)|William Dodd]], ambassador to Germany; [[Linda Swartz Taglialatela]], ambassador to [[Barbados]]; [[Rob Wittman]], member of the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]; [[Tony McNulty]], member of Parliament for [[Harrow East]]; [[Deborah Hersman]], 12th chairperson of the [[National Transportation Safety Board]]; [[Regina Dugan]], 19th director, [[Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency]]; [[John H. Thompson]], [[Director of the United States Census Bureau]]; [[Lawrence Koontz]], Senior Justice of the [[Supreme Court of Virginia]], and [[William K. Barlow]] and [[Matt Lohr]], members of the [[Virginia House of Delegates]].

Outside of public service, Virginia Tech alumni have made notable contributions in the fields of business, literature, music and journalism. These include children's book author and [[Newbery Medal]] recipient [[Kwame Alexander]]; author and former [[NASA]] engineer [[Homer Hickham]]; jazz guitarist [[Charlie Byrd]]; business executive [[Donaldson Brown]]; [[Boeing]] president and CEO [[Dave Calhoun]]; [[Norfolk Southern]] president and CEO [[Alan H. Shaw|Alan Shaw]] and television news anchor [[Hoda Kotb]].

Notable Virginia Tech athletes include [[Nickeil Alexander-Walker]], [[Frank Beamer]], [[Allan Bristow]], [[Kam Chancellor]], [[Bimbo Coles]], [[Dell Curry]], [[Ace Custis]], Renee Dennis, [[Jim Druckenmiller]], [[Terrell Edmunds]], [[Tremaine Edmunds]], [[Bud Foster]], [[Kendall Fuller]], [[Kyle Fuller]], [[Chuck Hartman]], [[Sally Miles]], [[Charles Moir]], [[Johnny Oates]], [[Bruce Smith]], [[Tyrod Taylor]], [[DeAngelo Hall]], [[Isaiah Ford]], [[Angela Tincher O'Brien|Angela Tincher]], and [[Michael Vick]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Retired Numbers & Jerseys At Virginia Tech |url=https://hokiesports.com/sports/2018/4/19/retired-numbers-jerseys-at-virginia-tech.aspx |website=Virginia Tech Athletics |language=en |access-date=2020-02-21 |archive-date=December 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201208131822/https://hokiesports.com/sports/2018/4/19/retired-numbers-jerseys-at-virginia-tech.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Fighting Gobblers]]
* [[Hahn Horticulture Garden]]
* [[List of forestry universities and colleges]]
* [[Virginia Tech commencement speakers]]
{{clear right}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==

* Clayton, Ashley B., and Brian A. Peters. "The desegregation of land-grant institutions in the 1950s: The first African American students at NC State University and Virginia Tech." ''The Journal of Negro Education'' 88.1 (2019): 75–92. [https://www.academia.edu/download/59976417/Clayton___Peters_2019_Desegregation_of_Land-grant_Institutions_-_JNE.pdf  online]
* Wallenstein, Peter. ''Virginia Tech, land-grant university, 1872–1997: History of a school, a state, a nation'' (Virginia Tech Publishing, 2021) [https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/bitstream/handle/10919/108039/virginia-tech-land-grant-university-1872-1997.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y  online]

==External links==
{{Commons category|Virginia Tech}}
{{NIE Poster|year=1905|Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute}}
* {{Official website}}
* [https://hokiesports.com/ Virginia Tech Athletics website]

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