These Virginia Tech graduate programs are some of the best in the country

Jenny Kincaid Boone

29 Mar 2022

Marco Peterson, a graduate student studying aerospace engineering, attempts to destabilize an automated drone during a test flight at the Space@VT workspace at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. Photo by Ryan Young. — Marco Peterson, a graduate student studying aerospace engineering, attempts to destabilize an automated drone during a test flight at the Space@VT workspace at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center. Photo by Ryan Young for Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech offers some of the top graduate programs in the country, according to a 2023 ranking by U.S. News & World Report.

In the latest ranking of the best U.S. graduate programs, the College of Engineering is No. 30 among 200 schools nationwide, up one spot from No. 31 last year.

Some of the college’s specialty engineering programs landed in the top 20. They are industrial, civil, and environmental, each ranking No. 7. Others include biological/agricultural at No. 13, aerospace at No. 14, nuclear at No. 17, mechanical at No. 19, and electrical at No. 19. Computer engineering is No. 20.

“We're pleased that the College of Engineering graduate program as a whole has advanced in rank, as have several programs individually," said Holly Matusovich, associate dean for graduate and professional studies. "Our focus on aligning education and research for impact, as well as an increased focus on the graduate student experience, is yielding outcomes. We're hopeful that continued emphasis on student opportunities, support, and long-term success will lead to sustained progress for our programs overall."

Additionally, Virginia Tech’s part-time Evening MBA program, offered by the Pamplin College of Business, ranked No. 23 among 278 schools, up five spots from last year. The Falls Church-based program has achieved a top-30 ranking for the past eight years.

The program holds in-person courses in the evening and plans to offer online elective classes this summer, which were especially popular last summer, said Dana Hansson, director of the MBA program.

“Consistent among all of the years is the strength of our part-time program, our curriculum, our faculty, and our student body,” she said.

In the College of Science, geosciences was ranked No. 24.

Virginia Tech’s public affairs graduate program in the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) ranked No. 39 among 267 schools, moving up nine slots from last year. The school is housed in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies.

“Being ranked in the top 15 percent of the schools of public policy in the country is a testimonial to the rigorous academic curriculum and fantastic human capital of SPIA,” said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, director of the school, which is based in Arlington.

Students at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine work with a portable ultrasound machine. Photo by Ryan Anderson. — Students at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine work with a portable ultrasound machine. Photo by Ryan Anderson for Virginia Tech.

For the third year, the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke ranked in the research category of medical programs, at No. 82 among 124 schools and up one spot from last year.

“We are proud to see the growing national recognition for our innovative curriculum, research ecosystem, and high faculty-to-student ratio at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine,” said Lee Learman, dean of the school. “What makes us different from many medical schools is that we immerse students in the language, culture, and practice of collaborative research and health-systems science. Our graduates are well-prepared to critically appraise new medical knowledge throughout their careers and to implement best practices to improve the health of their patients.”

Other Virginia Tech graduate programs made the U.S. News ranking in their respective subject areas. They include economics at No. 65, chemistry at No. 71, math at No. 59, physics at No. 58, psychology at No. 68, public health at No. 89, statistics at No. 37, and computer science at No. 38.

The U.S. News Best Graduate Schools ranking is based on two types of data — expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.