Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech)
Blacksburg, VA 24061
http://www.vt.edu

Beginning in 1872 with 132 students and two programs of study, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech, has evolved into a comprehensive university of national and international prominence. With about 25,600 full-time students and the home of groundbreaking research, Tech produces world-class scholarship in a challenging academic environment. University tradition is firmly rooted in our motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve) and in our land-grant missions of instruction, research, and solving the problems of society through public service and outreach activities.

Virginia Tech's challenging academic standards attract high-achieving students. Our eight colleges and Graduate School offer more degree programs than any other university in the state with 60 undergraduate and 120 graduate offerings. Virginia Tech is one of the nation's leaders in developing and using instructional technologies. Some 85 percent of our departments offer e-learning courses, which have attracted nearly 60,000 enrollments since 1998.

The university's groundbreaking research transforms lives and communities. With annual research expenditures of about $268 million, Virginia Tech is ranked 55th among research universities in the United States. The university, which has more than 100 research centers, also consistently ranks among the top institutions in industry-supported research and near the top 10 in the number of patents issued each year.

The university's nationally and internationally recognized faculty and motivated students are involved in more than 3,700 research projects in fields ranging from biotechnology to materials, from the environment and energy to food and health, and from transportation to computing information.