Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia · Public · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $24,953What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 55%
- Graduation rate
- 86%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 30,923
- In-state tuition
- $15,948Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $37,764
- SAT midpoint
- 1,310
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $81,698Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against public 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$24,9531/5
Better than 2% of public 4-year colleges (565 compared).
Completion
86%5/5
Better than 96% of public 4-year colleges (566 compared).
Earnings
$81,6985/5
Better than 95% of public 4-year colleges (590 compared).
Debt at graduation
$21,5002/5
Better than 40% of public 4-year colleges (588 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$36,951
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$24,953
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 86% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 93% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $21,500 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $81,698 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $96,432 | 526 |
| Computer Engineering | $86,636 | 233 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $83,364 | 111 |
| Construction Engineering | $82,627 | 74 |
| Industrial Engineering | $82,437 | 240 |
| Chemical Engineering | $82,382 | 88 |
| Applied Mathematics | $82,275 | Not reported |
| Engineering Mechanics | $81,735 | 9 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $78,280 | 342 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $77,877 | 486 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $76,856 | 246 |
| Construction Management | $76,246 | 113 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $75,434 | 54 |
| Mining and Mineral Engineering | $74,793 | 37 |
| Civil Engineering | $74,285 | 242 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $70,303 | 142 |
| Real Estate | $68,078 | 112 |
| Materials Engineering | $66,888 | 53 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $66,601 | 359 |
| Statistics | $62,598 | 19 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $60,678 | 240 |
| Physics | $58,061 | 42 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $56,797 | 137 |
| Architecture | $56,708 | Not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | $56,513 | 17 |
| Marketing | $56,417 | 257 |
| Food Science and Technology | $56,274 | 17 |
| Economics | $56,261 | 101 |
| Mathematics | $55,731 | 74 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $48,557 | 29 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $46,761 | 72 |
| Forestry | $45,817 | 81 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | $45,771 | 56 |
| Chemistry | $45,513 | 53 |
| International Relations and National Security Studies | $44,638 | 138 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $44,309 | 225 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Business Services | $43,603 | 87 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | $43,494 | 40 |
| Plant Sciences | $42,861 | 44 |
| Political Science and Government | $42,114 | 200 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $39,361 | 37 |
| Geography and Cartography | $39,328 | 37 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $39,155 | 77 |
| Sociology | $38,768 | 211 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $37,389 | 53 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $36,927 | 59 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $36,557 | 35 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | $35,927 | 97 |
| Psychology, General | $33,733 | 247 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $33,654 | 209 |
| History | $33,319 | 43 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $29,081 | 215 |
| Animal Sciences | $28,729 | 162 |
| Biology, General | $28,239 | 315 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | $25,563 | 73 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $25,414 | 261 |
| Data Science | Not reported | 173 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 107 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | Not reported | 59 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Not reported | 54 |
| Philosophy | Not reported | 38 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | Not reported | 25 |
| Music | Not reported | 23 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | Not reported | 20 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Not reported | 19 |
| Physical Sciences, Other | Not reported | 17 |
| Landscape Architecture | Not reported | 13 |
| Agriculture, General | Not reported | 12 |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | Not reported | 12 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Not reported | 5 |
| Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering | Not reported | Not reported |
| Business/Managerial Economics | Not reported | Not reported |
All 72 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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