Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia · Also known as Virginia Tech · Website
$81,698
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$81,698
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is a public 4-year college in Blacksburg, Virginia with 30,923 undergraduates and 7,822 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $24,953 a year (tuition and fees $15,948 in-state, $37,764 out-of-state). It admits 55% of applicants and 86% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $81,698 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$24,953
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$15,948
Out-of-state $37,764
Admission rate
55%
US median 78%
Completion rate
86%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,500
About $228 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$81,698
Rank 173 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $24,953
- Tuition in-state
- $15,948
- Tuition out-of-state
- $37,764
- Cost of attendance
- $36,951
- Students with a need-based grant
- 15%
- Students with federal loans
- 34%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $11,689
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $11,670
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $17,894
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $25,835
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $34,201
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $12,485 in 2015-16 to $15,948 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 55%
- Average SAT
- 1,364
- SAT reading, middle
- 650
- SAT math, middle
- 660
- ACT, middle
- 29
- Undergraduates
- 30,923
- Graduate students
- 7,822
- Part-time students
- 2.6%
- Women
- 43%
- Students per teacher
- 17
- Completion rate
- 86%
- Retention rate
- 93%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 258
- Endowment
- $1.9B
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 173 of 5,094 US colleges and 4 of 127 in Virginia (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | VA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $24,953 | $19,081 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $15,948 | $16,364 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 55% | 80% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 86% | 52% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 93% | 73% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,500 | $20,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $67,377 | $36,582 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $81,698 | $42,837 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 81% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 87% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
258 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 526 | $20,500 | $96,432 | $144,103 | $92,374 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 486 | $21,500 | $77,877 | $108,726 | $86,176 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 359 | $21,500 | $66,601 | $102,902 | $83,343 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 342 | $22,500 | $78,280 | $96,376 | $92,135 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 315 | $20,164 | $28,239 | $61,703 | $57,214 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 307 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $124,201 |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 261 | $24,017 | $25,414 | $74,005 | $54,945 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 257 | $22,500 | $56,417 | $86,338 | $69,303 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 247 | $21,500 | $33,733 | $56,365 | $50,706 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 246 | $25,833 | $76,856 | $106,633 | $98,207 |
| Civil EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 242 | $25,000 | $74,285 | $88,142 | $86,517 |
| Industrial EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 240 | $22,625 | $82,437 | $116,641 | $98,442 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 240 | $22,017 | $60,678 | $80,023 | $68,257 |
| Computer EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 233 | $25,929 | $86,636 | $122,026 | $109,015 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 225 | $20,500 | $44,309 | $66,106 | $56,359 |
| Neurobiology and NeurosciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 215 | $22,300 | $29,081 | $59,714 | $62,451 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 211 | $22,562 | $38,768 | $63,654 | $52,657 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 209 | $20,500 | $33,654 | $58,340 | $48,568 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 200 | $23,500 | $42,114 | $75,687 | $63,293 |
| Data ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 173 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, OtherMaster's | Master's | 166 | $33,240 | $112,210 | $148,000 | $139,553 |
| Animal SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 162 | $22,250 | $28,729 | $47,224 | $49,634 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 146 | $32,567 | $119,423 | $154,688 | $103,485 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 142 | $18,500 | $70,303 | $99,528 | $76,194 |
| International Relations and National Security StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 138 | $21,250 | $44,638 | $71,988 | $66,596 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Virginia on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Virginia
- Homes: Homes for sale in Virginia
Questions and answers
How much does Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University cost?
$24,953 a year is the average net price at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $15,948 for in-state students and $37,764 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $36,951. Families earning under $30,000 pay $11,689 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?
55% of applicants are admitted to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,364 and the middle ACT score is 29. The median admission rate of colleges in Virginia is 80%.
How much do Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University graduates earn?
$81,698 a year is the median pay of former Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($67,377 after 6 years). That ranks 173 of 5,094 US colleges and 4 of 127 in Virginia. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's) at $119,423.
How much student debt do Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University graduates have?
$21,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University graduates, about $228 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 34% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?
86% of first-time, full-time students at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University finish within 6 years. 93% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?
Computer and Information Sciences, General (526 bachelor's graduates), Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (486 bachelor's graduates), Finance and Financial Management Services (359 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 258 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.