Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, or Virginia Tech, is a large public research university and a leading institution in engineering. Although the school is quite large, with over 31,000 undergrads, it has a relatively low student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1. It offers about 280 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
The university delivers strong earnings outcomes relative to its student mix, with graduates earning a median salary of more than $85,000 in their early careers. Virginia Tech is also one of the schools participating in the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP), a program that provides financial aid to eligible Virginia residents attending public colleges in the state. Low-income students in the program can receive an award that covers up to the cost of tuition, fees and textbooks.
Virginia Tech has a sprawling 2,600-acre campus, and it also maintains a 1,800-acre agriculture research farm nearby. The university's Division I teams are all cheered on by a mascot called HokieBird, a kind of mythical, muscled-up turkey, and its football and basketball teams have devoted followings.
