Virginia Tech among top national and global universities in fall rankings

Jenny Kincaid Boone

25 Oct 2021

Carla Finkielstein (right), an associate professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, performs analysis on COVID-19 samples. The institute of one of Virginia Tech's thematic research institutes.

Two higher education data performance organizations have ranked Virginia Tech among the top universities in the nation and the world this fall.

Virginia Tech was 251-300 in the 2022 Times Higher Education World University Ranking, which judges research excellence on a global scale. It considers five core missions: teaching, research, citations, international outlook, and industry income. Of research-intensive public land grant universities, Virginia Tech was 16.

The university scored highest in two areas — research, which tracks volume, income, and reputation; and citations, which show research influence.

For the fiscal year 2020, Virginia Tech’s research enterprise had $556 million in expenditures and saw a 15 percent increase in sponsored awards. Its largest external sponsors in the past year included the Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health.

Virginia Tech continues to expand the breadth of its research enterprise. Together with university stakeholders, Dan Sui, vice president for research and innovation, has identified frontiers of growth in specific research initiatives — health, security, artificial intelligence, and quantum. These areas intersect with humanity, technology, and the future. Investments from industry, government, and technology sectors will expand Virginia Tech research in these frontiers.

In September, the university launched the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, which is one of three thematic research institutes at the university. The institute will produce research and impact policy related to legal and practical challenges facing national intelligence, defense, law enforcement, homeland security, and cybersecurity communities.

Also, in 2020, the university created the Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens. The center, established within the Fralin Life Sciences Institute, will work to advance transformative science and develop effective countermeasures against emerging infectious diseases.

“It is gratifying to see that the efforts of Virginia Tech researchers are recognized in international and national rankings,” Sui said. “The creativity, scholarship, and innovation of our faculty help us fulfill our land-grant mission while pushing the boundaries of knowledge to new frontiers.”

Virginia Tech students attend Gobblerfest, the annual student organizations fair held on the Drillfield. The event includes more than 500 registered student organizations, as well as local businesses and Virginia Tech departmental and informational booths. (Photo by Mary Desmond/Virginia Tech) — Virginia Tech students attend Gobblerfest, the annual student organizations fair held on the Drillfield. The event includes more than 500 registered student organizations, as well as local businesses and Virginia Tech departmental and informational booths. Photo by Mary Desmond for Virginia Tech.

Another ranking, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Ranking lists Virginia Tech at 104 out of nearly 800 universities, and up several points from 109 the previous year. The ranking evaluates universities on 15 performance indicators, with a focus on four — resources, engagement, outcomes, and environment.

The ranking is designed to answer questions that matter to students and their families.

Virginia Tech’s strongest categories were outcomes and engagement. The outcomes area focuses on graduate rate, reputation, graduate salary, and debt after graduation. Engagement tracks student engagement, interactions, recommendations (all from a student survey), and subject breadth.

Virginia Tech offers a plethora of opportunities for student engagement through its Division of Student Affairs. Students also have an opportunity to create their own personalized Virginia Tech path through ExperienceVT, which is part of the university’s Aspirations for Student Learning plan.

“We believe ExperienceVT, coupled with the Aspirations for Student Learning, has fostered a deep sense of student engagement and belonging here at Virginia Tech, which has helped students show tremendous gains in student learning outcomes outside of the classroom,” said James Bridgeforth, assistant vice president for Student Affairs and ExperienceVT.

Similarly, Virginia Tech’s academic community as a whole is committed to supporting students as they progress through the university and prepare for the future, said Cyril Clarke, executive vice president and provost at Virginia Tech.

“Our faculty and academic support staff have done an amazing job of engaging and guiding students, especially during the pandemic, to ensure they develop the skills and knowledge needed to graduate from Virginia Tech and thrive in their careers,” Clarke said.

In September, Virginia Tech ranked 75th among national universities in the 2022 U.S. News & World Report annual ranking.