Virginia Tech More than Just an Agricultural/Technical College

Burruss Hall at VA Tech

Despite its roots as an agricultural institution, Virginia Tech (officially Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) now boasts a wide array of educational opportunities for students hoping to take advantage of the full university experience.

Originally dubbed "Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College'', Virginia Tech, located in Blacksburg and founded in 1872, offers in excess of 60 bachelor degree programs and more than 140 masters and doctoral programs in nine different academic colleges, though its original core programs of agricultural, engineering, forestry, and veterinary medicine are still its strongest. It boasts the largest full-time student population of any Virginia university, with more than 30,000 full-time students attending the sprawling campus.

Virginia Tech ranked recently 17th on Kiplinger's list of 100 Best Values in Public Colleges and approximately 60 percent of the student body receives financial aid, the university reports.

The campus is ethnically diverse and the school offers a variety of organizations and clubs for students of different races, religions, and sexual orientation. An on-campus Office of Multicultural Affairs strives to teach students the importance of tolerance among peers, especially in light of the 2007 tragedy that occurred on campus when a South Korean student shot 32 and wounded 25 in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

The university's northwestern Virginia campus covers about 2,600 acres in this mid-sized town of about 40,000 residents. One-hundred twenty-five buildings spread out over the attractive tree-lined campus, offering classrooms, libraries, dormitories, dining facilities, arts venues, sports complexes, and research facilities.

Intercollegiate sports are important to the students at Virginia Tech, known as Hokies - a term coined by an 1896 graduate in a cheer he wrote for the university. There are 21 Hokie teams in all and they compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. In addition, non-competitive, recreational sports are available to the entire campus, regardless of ability.

Both visual and performing arts are also an integral part of campus life at Virginia Tech. Students can major in a variety of arts-related fields - including visual arts, music, theater arts, and cinema - and there are myriad on-campus opportunities for all students to see, hear, and participate in a variety of concerts and plays throughout the year. The school's Armory Art Gallery also hosts exhibits of student artwork.

In addition, Virginia Tech boasts one of only two senior military colleges in the United States located within a major state university. Students who enter the Corps of Cadets study leadership as well as attend regular academic classes. Many of the approximately 700 members of the Corps go on to serve in the U.S. military.