Virginia Tech was ranked tied for 21st among the top public universities in the U.S. News & World Report’s latest Best Colleges for 2024-25 rankings, released Tuesday.
Each year, U.S. News & World Report ranks the nation’s bachelor’s degree-granting universities to help high school graduates find the best fit for them. The publication divided its rankings of more than 1,400 universities into the following categories: national universities, liberal arts universities, regional universities, and regional colleges. Schools in the national university category offer a full range of undergraduate majors, as well as master’s and doctoral programs.
The method for determining the scores varies by category. In the top public schools category, the publication used 19 measures of academic quality, including graduation rates, retention rates, affordability of tuition, value of a degree upon graduation, faculty resources, expert opinions (presidents, deans, etc.), financial resources and test scores.
When public and private universities were combined, Virginia Tech was ranked tied for 51st overall.
The Faculty of Engineering receives high praise nationwide
Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering continues to lead the university in various national and global rankings thanks to its research that continues to receive global recognition. Some of the most notable recent engineering-led research projects include finding ways to minimize the environmental impact of mining lithium for electric vehicle batteries, partnering with several other institutions to use power-generating equipment to study weather conditions high in the atmosphere and how they affect daily life, and an innovative effort to remove harmful amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by burying it underground.
The university’s engineering program was ranked tied for 13th nationally among universities offering doctoral programs. The Best Engineering Programs category score is based solely on peer evaluation.
The university’s undergraduate engineering program was ranked the highest of any university engineering program in Virginia.
“Our world-class education is a direct result of our approach to experiential, hands-on learning that prepares students to solve the world’s most complex challenges,” said Julie Ross, the Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Dean of Engineering. “Every day, we push the boundaries of engineering education through our investments in translational experiences with outstanding faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, and industry partnerships that support our students in becoming leaders in the global workforce.”
Additionally, various programs within the university also received high scores, particularly Grado’s School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, which ranked fourth in the nation.
Other engineering programs that ranked highly were: Environmental Engineering (tied 7th); Biological/Agricultural Engineering (tied 8th); Civil Engineering (tied 9th); Aerospace Engineering (tied 13th); Mechanical Engineering (tied 13th); Electrical Engineering (tied 16th); and Computer Engineering (tied 17th).
Virginia Tech’s undergraduate computer science program also performed well, tying for 29th in the nation.
Virginia Tech is a great value
Virginia Tech’s biggest jump in the 2024-25 U.S. News & World Report rankings was in the “Best Value” category, where the magazine ranked Virginia Tech 149th, up seven spots from last year.
The calculation takes into account a school’s academic quality and the net cost of attendance for 2023-24 for an out-of-state student receiving average levels of financial aid. Because U.S. News believes that colleges with above-average academic performance offer the best value, only schools ranked at or near the top half of each category are included.
“Providing a fulfilling educational experience for students, including those who are financially disadvantaged, is fundamental to our land-grant mission,” said Vice President for Enrollment Management Juan Espinoza. “As we move forward with new initiatives such as the Virginia Tech Advantage program, we will prioritize access and affordability to ensure Virginia Tech remains a university that is open and welcoming to all, regardless of family income.”
Other notable rankings
The university ranked tied for 26th in the Most Innovative Schools category. The Most Innovative Schools ranking is based on outstanding academics’ responses to survey questions asking which schools are making innovative improvements in curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology and facilities.
Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business’ undergraduate business program made big strides this year, climbing seven spots to a tie for No. 40 ranking. Additionally, Pamplin’s accounting program is ranked tied for No. 48 in the nation.
The Faculty of Science’s Departments of Economics and Psychology both ranked in the top 100. Psychology tied for 79th place and Economics tied for 93rd place.
In other categories, the university was ranked tied for 17th nationally in Learning Communities and tied for 28th nationally in Best Colleges for Veterans.
A complete list of Virginia Tech’s world and national rankings, as published in various publications and other outlets, can be found online.
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