Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia · Public · 54.8% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 89/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Virginia Tech (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University) receives a CampusROI score of 89 (Strong Value tier) under our methodology, with an 86.2% completion rate. In-state tuition is $15,948 and out-of-state tuition $37,764; the average net price is $24,953 per year, or $99,812 over four years of attendance (a cost figure, not a debt figure). Median debt at graduation is $21,500 against average earnings of $50,400 six years after entry, a 0.427 debt-to-earnings ratio, and median earnings reach $81,698 ten years after entry. Our model estimates a 5.1-year payback period. Virginia Tech enrolls 30,923 students in Blacksburg.
The median graduate earns $81,698 ten years after entry - well above the roughly $53,600 median across the schools we score.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $15,948/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $37,764/yr |
| Average net price | $24,953/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $99,812 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $81,698 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $50,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $21,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $228 |
| Estimated payback period | 5.1 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 86.2% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 30,923 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $15,948/year ($37,764/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $24,953/year, or roughly $99,812 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $11,689/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $34,201/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $21,500, which works out to about $228 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($50,400) and comes to 0.43, which in our view is comfortably manageable.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $11,689 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $11,670 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $17,894 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,835 |
| $110,001+ | $34,201 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 report an average net price of $11,689 per year, about $46,756 over four years, against median ten-year earnings of $81,698. Virginia's state grant program and federal aid are reflected in that figure; individual packages vary.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Families earning $30,001-$48,000 report an average net price of $11,670 per year, nearly identical to the lowest bracket. The $48,001-$75,000 bracket reports $17,894 and the $75,001-$110,000 bracket $25,835, more than double the lowest bracket. Families in the middle brackets should run the net price calculator before planning.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning over $110,000 report an average net price of $34,201 per year, about $136,804 over four years, below the out-of-state tuition of $37,764.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $144,103 | A |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $108,726 | B+ |
| Finance and Financial Management | $102,902 | B+ |
| Mechanical Engineering | $96,376 | B+ |
| Biology | $61,703 | D |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | $74,005 | D |
| Marketing | $86,338 | B |
| Psychology | $56,365 | C |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $106,633 | B+ |
| Civil Engineering | $88,142 | B+ |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences has 526 graduates and an A grade under our methodology. Median earnings rise from $96,432 in the first year to $144,103 by year four, against median debt of $20,500.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering has 342 graduates and a B+ grade under our methodology. Median earnings rise from $78,280 in the first year to $96,376 by year four, against median debt of $23,000.
Industrial Engineering
Industrial Engineering has 240 graduates and a B+ grade under our methodology. Median earnings rise from $82,437 in the first year to $116,641 by year four, against median debt of $22,870.
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering has 246 graduates and a B+ grade under our methodology. Median earnings rise from $76,856 in the first year to $106,633 by year four, against median debt of $26,000.
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods has 486 graduates and a B+ grade under our methodology. Median earnings rise from $77,877 in the first year to $108,726 by year four, against median debt of $21,700.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 82.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 85.9% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 83.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 86.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 54.8% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 640-740 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 640-710 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 28-32 |
| Enrollment | 30,923 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 15.3% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $14,162 |
Virginia Tech admits 54.8% of applicants. SAT middle-50% ranges are 640-740 math and 640-710 reading; ACT composite 28-32. The 86.2% completion rate means most first-time, full-time students graduate within six years.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
Medians describe the typical graduate; outcomes by program and by student vary widely.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (this school) | 89 | $24,953 | $81,698 |
| William & Mary | 91 | $19,096 | $73,490 |
| Purdue University-Main Campus | 91 | $14,600 | $72,424 |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | 83 | $24,406 | $74,479 |
| Florida International University | 81 | $9,288 | $60,249 |
| Christopher Newport University | 64 | $23,015 | $60,509 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
With 30,923 students and a 15.3% Pell Grant rate, Virginia Tech serves a large student body in Blacksburg. It fits students who want a research university with engineering, business, agriculture and science depth at a public net price. Median debt at graduation ($21,500) is below average earnings six years after entry ($50,400).
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University pays off. You'd pay about $24,953 a year after aid ($99,812 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $81,698 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 5.1 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, its 86.2% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings, high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $21,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $50,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: Common Questions
Is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University pays off. It scores 89/100 on our ROI scale. You'd pay about $24,953 a year after aid ($99,812 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $81,698 ten years after enrollment, so the cost takes roughly 5.1 years to earn back.
How much does Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $24,953 a year, or roughly $99,812 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $81,698 ten years after enrolling, roughly $39,898 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 5.1 years for Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $21,500, against average earnings of $50,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 86.2%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.