Virginia Tech was ranked tied for No. 51 overall in the National Universities class and tied for No. 21 among Top Public Schools in the National Universities class in the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings released Tuesday, Sept. 23.
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 by 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, financial resources, test scores, and opinion of experts, such as presidents and provosts.
Virginia Tech’s No. 51 overall ranking in the National Universities class is among both public and private universities.
Research guides engineering rankings
The College of Engineering continues to lead the way for the university in national and global rankings in large part because of research that continues to gain worldwide recognition.
Projects such as creating a recyclable material that could make electronics easier to break down and reuse, building wireless infrastructure for wireless network security, and continuing to find new uses for cutting-edge advanced manufacturing while also preparing students to meet future workforce needs are just a few examples of important research being conducted.
The college’s undergraduate engineering programs tied for No.14 nationally among universities that offer a Ph.D. option. Scores in the Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs category were based solely on peer assessment.
“Virginia Tech is deeply committed to innovation in the classroom, the lab, and beyond,” said Keith Thompson, the college’s associate dean for academic affairs. “Our students don’t just learn theory — they apply it to real-world challenges, supported by our top-notch faculty, immersive undergraduate research opportunities, and strong industry partnerships. This hands-on, problem-solving mindset is what positions Hokie engineers to make a difference in the workforce from the moment they graduate.”
In addition, various programs within the College of Engineering scored well led by the industrial and systems engineering program, which came in tied for sixth nationally.
Other engineering programs that came in ranked highly included the following:
Environmental engineering (No. 8)
Civil engineering (tied for No. 9)
Aerospace engineering (No. 12)
Mechanical engineering (No. 13)
Electrical engineering (No. 15)
Computer engineering (No. 16)
Chemical engineering (No. 27)
Also, the computer science program was rated tied for No. 25 nationally, a four-spot jump from a year ago. Virginia Tech also registered a top 25 ranking in a computer science specialty area – artificial intelligence – coming in tied for No. 25.
Other colleges fare well
Undergraduate business programs within the Pamplin College of Business came in tied for No. 51.
The undergraduate economics programs and psychology programs within the College of Science earned top 100 rankings. The psychology programs were tied for No. 60 – a 19-spot jump from a year ago – while the economics programs rose six spots from last year to tied for No. 87.
In addition, the university came in tied for No. 26 in the Most Innovative Schools category. The Most Innovative Schools rankings were based upon top academics’ responses to a survey question that asked which schools were making innovative improvements in terms of curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology, or facilities.
The university also ranked No. 22 nationally in the Learning Communities category and tied for No. 28 nationally in the Best Colleges for Veterans category.
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