In 1872, with federal funds provided by the Morrill Act of 1862, the Virginia General Assembly purchased the facilities of Preston and Olin Institute, a small Methodistschool in Southwest Virginia's rural Montgomery County. That same year, 40 acres of the Solitude Farm were acquired for $21,250.The commonwealth incorporated a new institution on the site, a state-supported land-grant military institute named Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College.Under the 1891–1907 presidency of John M. McBryde, the school organized its academic programs into a traditional four-year college. The evolution of the school's programs led to a name change in 1896 to Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College and Polytechnic Institute. The "Agricultural and Mechanical College" portion of the name was popularly omitted almost immediately; in 1944, the name was officially changed to Virginia Polytechnic Institute (VPI).In 1923, VPI changed a policy of compulsory participation in the Corps of Cadets from four years to two years. In 1931, VPI began teaching classes at the Norfolk Division of the College of William and Mary (now Old Dominion University). This program eventually developed into a two-year engineering program that allowed students to transfer to VPI for their final two years of degree work.In 1943, VPI merged with Radford State Teachers College, which became VPI's women's division; the merger was dissolved in 1964. Today, Radford University enrolls more than 9,900 students and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate programs.

Accreditation

Virginia Tech is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award doctorate, masters, baccalaureate and associate degrees.  

Rankings

National

ARWU - 79-102

Forbes - 122

U.S. News & World Report - 70

Washington Monthly - 28

Global

ARWU - 201-300

QS - 338

Times - 251-300

Student Life

Living in the residence halls puts you in the center of campus life.  9,300 students live on campus.More than 700 student clubs and organizations are active on campus.