Virginia Tech was ranked tied for No. 21 in the National Universities class for Top Public Schools in the latest U.S. News & World Report 2024-25 Best Colleges rankings released Tuesday.

U.S. News & World Report ranks bachelor’s degree-granting institutions in the United States annually to help prospective high school students find their best fits for college. The publication divided its rankings of more than 1,400 schools into divisions of National Universities, Liberal Arts Colleges, Regional Universities, and Regional Colleges. Schools in the National Universities category offer a full range of undergraduate majors, plus master’s and Ph.D. programs.

The methodology to determine scores varies among categories. The publication used 19 measures of academic quality in the Top Public Schools category, including graduation rates, retention rates, affordability, value of the degree after graduation, faculty resources, opinion of experts (presidents, provosts, etc.), financial resources, and test scores.

Accounting for both public and private universities, Virginia Tech was ranked tied for No. 51 overall.

College of Engineering receives national acclaim

Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering continues to lead the way for the university in various national and global rankings in large part because of research that continues to gain worldwide recognition. Some of the more prominent engineering-driven research projects of late include finding ways to minimize the environmental impact of mining lithium to use in batteries for electric vehicles; partnering with several other institutions to use generation instrumentation that studies weather conditions high in the atmosphere and how they affect everyday life; and revolutionizing efforts to keep harmful amounts of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere by putting it in the ground.

The college’s undergraduate engineering programs rated tied for No.13 nationally among universities that offer a Ph.D. option. Scores in the Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs category were based solely on peer assessment.

The college’s undergraduate engineering programs also were rated higher than any university engineering programs in Virginia.

“Our world-class education is a direct result of our approach to experiential and hands-on learning that prepare 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 investment in exceptional faculty, cutting-edge facilities, and bridge experiences with industry partnerships that support our students to become leaders in the global workforce.”  

In addition, various programs within the college scored well, led by the Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, which came in fourth nationally.

• Other engineering programs ranked highly included the following:
• Environmental engineering, tied for No. 7
• Biological/agricultural engineering, tied for No. 8
• Civil engineering, tied for No. 9
• Aerospace engineering, tied for No. 13
• Mechanical engineering, tied for No. 13
• Electrical engineering, tied for No. 16
• Computer engineering, tied for No. 17

Virginia Tech’s undergraduate computer science programs did well, too, coming in at tied for No. 29 nationally.

Virginia Tech a great value

Virginia Tech’s biggest jump in the U.S. News & World Report 2024-25 rankings came in the category of Best Value. The publication ranked Virginia Tech No. 149 — a seven-spot jump from last year.

The calculation factors in a school’s academic quality and the 2023-24 net cost of attendance for an out-of-state student who received the average level of need-based financial aid. Only schools ranked in or near the top half of their categories are included because U.S. News considers the most significant values to be among colleges that are above average academically.

“Offering a rich and full educational experience to students, including those with financial need, is a foundational part of our land-grant mission,” said Juan Espinoza, vice provost for enrollment management. “As we move forward with new initiatives, such as the Virginia Tech Advantage program, we will continue to prioritize access and affordability to ensure Virginia Tech remains open and welcoming to all, regardless of their family income.”

Other rankings to note

The university came in tied for No. 26 in the Most Innovative Schools category. The Most Innovative Schools rankings were based upon top academic’ responses to a survey question that asked which schools were making innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, or facilities.

Virginia Tech’s undergraduate business programs within the Pamplin College of Business made a significant jump this year, coming in tied for No. 40 – a seven-spot increase. In addition, the accounting program within Pamplin was rated tied for No. 48 nationally.

The undergraduate economics programs and psychology programs within the College of Science earned a top-100 ranking. The psychology programs were tied for No. 79, while the economics programs came in tied for No. 93.

In other categories, the university ranked tied for No. 17 nationally in the Learning Communities category and tied for No. 28 nationally in the Best Colleges for Veterans category.

A complete listing of Virginia Tech’s worldwide and national rankings from various publications and other outlets can be found online.

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