New survey ranks Virginia Tech among top schools in alumni loyalty, enthusiasm, and success
It will come as no surprise to anyone in Hokie Nation, but it would be very hard to find a group of alumni more enthusiastic about their alma mater than those from Virginia Tech.
And in addition, according to a recent published national survey, Virginia Tech ranked first among “very large schools,” tenth among national universities and 30th among all the colleges and universities ranked in alumni loyalty, financial success, and other measures of satisfaction.
These findings were published recently in the 2014 edition of “The Alumni Factor,” a college guidebook that ranks colleges and universities based on the experience of their graduates.
The Alumni Factor defines “very large schools” to include universities with more than 20,000 undergraduate students. Overall, 227 national universities, regional universities, and liberal arts colleges were selected as the nation’s top schools based on alumni success and satisfaction.
Virginia Tech’s ranking in the survey’s core categories:
- Financial Success: 12th among national universities; first among very large schools
- Overall Assessment: seventh among national universities; third among very large schools
- College Experience; 16th among national universities; third among very large schools
- Overall Happiness: 25th among national universities; eighth among very large schools
- Alumni Giving; 65th among national universities; 16th among very large schools
Virginia Tech is also ranked first among very large schools for “Income per Household” and 13th in that category among national universities. The university also ranked second among very large schools for household net worth.
In addition, Virginia Tech ranked fifth among national universities in the number of alumni who said they would choose the school again, and fifth among national universities in the number of alumni who would recommend a Virginia Tech education to a future student.
“Alumni are the best judge of our success,” said Tom Tillar, vice president for alumni relations, “and it’s especially gratifying to learn that they believe that their Virginia Tech education and experience helped prepare their futures.”
Those surveyed for this ranking responded to questions relating to attributes such as their intellectual and social growth during college. Responses were used to gauge their actual feelings about the institution they attended. Participants also responded to statements about relevant political and social issues. And finally, the study considered factors such as enrollment, retention, and graduation rates, and alumni employment outcomes.
Other Virginia institutions included in The Alumni Factor’s top 227 schools are the College of William and Mary, Hampton University, James Madison University, University of Richmond, University of Virginia, and Washington and Lee University.
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech takes a hands-on, engaging approach to education, preparing scholars to be leaders in their fields and communities. As the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and its leading research institution, Virginia Tech offers 240 undergraduate and graduate degree programs to more than 31,000 students and manages a research portfolio of $513 million. The university fulfills its land-grant mission of transforming knowledge to practice through technological leadership and by fueling economic growth and job creation locally, regionally, and across Virginia.
