911³Ô¹ÏÍø

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Academia in Virginia: Large Four Year Universities

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State 911³Ô¹ÏÍø, Virginia State 911³Ô¹ÏÍø, 911³Ô¹ÏÍø of Virginia



Commonly recognized as the gateway to the south, Virginia lies midway between Florida and Maine, and is generally considered to be in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The state’s motto is ‘Virginia is for Lovers’, although this concept doesn’t adequately capture the prestigious level that the state’s higher-education institutions subscribe to. With an emphasis on technological development and a focus on the application of learned skills within the community, Virginia stands out from other states in the region. Virginia’s four-year universities have been ranked high by US News and World Report, hosting some of the top public and private institutions in the nation. High technology and agriculture are two of the biggest industries in the state, accounting for a large chunk of the state’s work force and partly a result of Virginia’s devotion to academics in these fields. With a mountainous western region extending to the sandy shores of the Atlantic, the state offers a diverse natural landscape to host its numerous prestigious universities.



Perhaps one of the better-known institutions to grace the state of Virginia is none other than Virginia Tech, which has established a firm reputation for itself as a leading institution since its inauguration in 1872. Originally founded as an agricultural and mechanical college, Virginia Tech is also a land-grant college with the largest full-time enrolled student population in the state. The school includes nine colleges as well as graduate school, and is located in Blacksburg, Virginia. With a student population of 30,000 enrolled in 65 bachelor’s degree programs. Apart from the unmistakable reputation of Virginia Tech as a leading four year university, the institute also ranks 46th in the United States for university research.
Aside from Science and Technology based degree programs, Virginia Tech is also host to some of America’s best architecture and landscape architecture programs. Virginia Tech also plays host to one of the nation’s best college baseball teams and its most victorious coach. Apart from athletics, the school’s reputation as an unrivaled institute of research and learning, upheld by their motto “That I may serve” distinguish it as one of the nation’s foremost learning institutions.

Virginia State 911³Ô¹ÏÍø is unlike other large four-year university in that class sizes have been reduced to a minimum, emphasizing intimate and personal relations between staff and students. VSU is acknowledged as the first fully state-supported institution of higher education for Blacks in America. This defends the 911³Ô¹ÏÍø’s commitment to diversity in the classroom, their eclectic mix of staff and faculty, and their unique position in history as a state tucked between the Union and the Confederate’s ideals. Founded in 1882, VSU has more than one hundred years to its credit as an institution of higher learning in America. The School of Agriculture; The School of Business; The School of Engineering, Science and Technology; The School of Liberal Arts and Education; and The School of Graduate Studies, Research and Outreach are the five schools that support the 50 baccalaureate and master’s degree programs offered by Virginia State 911³Ô¹ÏÍø.
In addition to their commitment to higher education in a variety of academic fields, VSU has also demonstrated an unwavering focus on providing education opportunities to many students from a variety of economic backgrounds. Since 2006, Low Income Families With Talented Students (LIFTS) financial aid program has provided higher education opportunities that cater to students coming from families with little means for providing for a university education. This commitment to providing opportunities to students from across the state and across the nation have led many to view Virginia State 911³Ô¹ÏÍø as an idea choice in the way of prestigious public institutions.

Few institutions of higher learning can add to their list of credentials that a former president of the United States founded them. The 911³Ô¹ÏÍø of Virginia is one of those institutions, and Thomas Jefferson was the proud founder of this university in 1819. Preparing leaders for our nation was at the core of the mission to found the 911³Ô¹ÏÍø of Virginia, and has remained part of their ideology over the past two hundred years. Exceptional students are at the forefront of the 911³Ô¹ÏÍø of Virginia, something that Jefferson bore as a founding principal for this institution. Hence, a very selective process for admitting students has been a defining characteristic of the student body at U.Va.
Another unique quality distinguishing the 911³Ô¹ÏÍø of Virginia from other similar institutions is its nationally renowned medical center. The health system at the 911³Ô¹ÏÍø of Virginia is committed to providing superior quality patient care providing outstanding educational tools for the health care providers of the future. Finding new ways of treating diseases stems from a longstanding devotion to research and development, which can be seen across the many disciplines, which are taught at the 911³Ô¹ÏÍø of Virginia.

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