Virginia Polytech Institute and State University, founded in 1872, is a public, comprehensive university. Students who want to learn in a high-technology environment choose Virginia Tech because it is not only the largest university in Virginia, but also the Commonwealth''s top research university. Undergraduates are given an opportunity to make their own groundbreaking discoveries. A leading magazine recently ranked Virginia Tech fifth in the nation in terms of the best value for schools specializing in science and technical programs. Programs are offered through the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture and Urban Studies, Arts and Sciences, Business, Engineering, Human Resources and Education, Natural Resources, and Veterinary Medicine. Tech also has been named one of the most wired colleges in the United States, both for its innovative use of technology in all classrooms, from English to philosophy, biology and engineering, and for providing free Internet and e-mail access to all its students. Its 2,600-acre campus is located in Blacksburg, 38 miles west of Roanoke.