Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), a land grant university located in Blacksburg, is the state’s largest and most diverse university. Virginia Tech offers more than 60 undergraduate and over 110 graduate degree programs to more than 26,000 students, more degree programs than any other Virginia university. In 2007, Virginia Tech awarded 5,079 undergraduate degrees and 1,718 graduate degrees. The main campus includes more than 100 buildings, 26,000 acres and an airport.

Virginia Tech is the state’s leading research institution and ranks 56th among the nation's top research universities with research funding totaling $321 million. Tech fosters a strong corporate/academic partnership to jointly tackle major (and minor) scientific and technological problems facing industries. More than 450 research laboratories and centers are active at the university. The university has five research institutes or centers funded by Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology and a polymer and composite center established through an $8 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Virginia Tech has recently opened the Edward Via Virginia College for Osteopathic Medicine with approximately 300 students enrolled for the college’s four-year program. The college occupies six large laboratories, several smaller labs, and a few offices in the university’s Corporate Research Center. The university's faculty and students are involved in more than 3,700 research projects in fields ranging from biotechnology to materials, from the environment and energy to food and health, and from transportation to computing information.

The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (CRC), the state’s largest research park, is located adjacent to the campus of Virginia Tech. The CRC's mission is to facilitate economic development by building creative partnerships between Virginia Tech's world-class research program and private enterprise. The goals and objectives of CRC are to: contribute to employment and economic growth, increase corporate and government-sponsored research, facilitate technology transfer, and provide support for entrepreneurs and start-ups. The Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (CRC) is home to over 140 companies engaged in leading-edge research in diverse areas of technology. Over one million dollars in annual industry-sponsored research at Virginia Tech comes from companies in the CRC. Total employment currently exceeds 1820 people located in 23 buildings with one new building under construction. The park attracts approximately 20 new companies per year, and the total build-out is planned to be 28 buildings totaling one million square feet housing 3,000 employees in the next ten years.

Radford University is a comprehensive institution offering both undergraduate and graduate programs. In 2007, the university had a student population of 9,122 and offered 112 program options in five undergraduate colleges. The Graduate College awards degrees in 45 programs and areas of concentration.

In addition to its primary responsibilities of teaching and advising students, Radford University is active in sponsoring educational experiences, which provide professional development opportunities for local business, industry and government leaders. The Center for Economic Education provides assistance to teachers throughout the region. The Small Business Institute, through educational courses, helps many local industries each year address strategic planning, financial planning, international business and other important business concerns. Other centers offer varied services: the Center for Engineering Geosciences provides assistance with the geological aspects of engineering; the Speech and Hearing Clinic serves as a regional testing and services center; the Center for Brain Research and Informational Sciences focuses on how the human brain operates; and the Center for Music Technology is introducing new methods of composing and creating music.

New River Community College (NRCC) in Dublin offers both university transfer and occupational/technical programs to more than 4,000 students. It has a particularly strong technical program with associate degrees offered in such areas as: Electrical Technology, Electronics Technology, Industrial Engineering, Instrumentation Technology and Machine Technology. The Instrumentation Technology program is the only one available within the Virginia Community College System. In addition, the college has a variety of programs in the technology field providing a certificate or diploma award.

In 1995, a $4 million New River Valley Regional Economic Development Center was constructed on the New River Community College campus. It provides the latest, state-of-the-art technological facilities available, including video conferencing and fiber optics. The 37,000-square-foot building is equipped with a 10,000-square-foot multipurpose training area, three electronic classrooms, conference rooms, computer and training labs, and large lecture/seminar rooms. The services offered include: temporary office space for new or expanding businesses and industries, skills upgrading and career development programs, pre-employment training, vocational retraining for displaced workers, community and governmental meetings, general employment support and new technology training.

The Montgomery County Public School System (MCPS) serves nearly 9,600 students in 12 elementary schools, four middle schools, four high schools and two alternative schools throughout the County. Schools within the division vary in size and are located in both urban and rural settings. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) and the Commonwealth of Virginia accredit all secondary schools in Montgomery County.

The Superintendent’s Annual Report Data (2008-2009) is the source of the following information about the Montgomery County Public School System (MCPS).

Construction of several new school buildings has been prominently in the forefront in planning for the future of public schools in Montgomery County. The new Eastern Montgomery Elementary School is under construction in the Elliston/Lafayette/Shawsville area. Land has been obtained for another new elementary school in Price's Fork.

 

Eastern Montgomery High School opened in August 2000 to accommodate 400 high school students from Elliston and Lafayette communities. Blacksburg Middle School completed its construction and opened in August 2002 for the 2002-2003 school year. Christiansburg Middle School opened in August 2003 for the 2003-2004 school year.

Curriculum at Montgomery County Schools incorporates technology with traditional classroom teaching techniques to give students skills necessary to be productive in today’s technology driven workplace. With funding and technical support from Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg Electronic Village, Internet access is available in every classroom in the County. MCPS has also established interactive video classrooms for distance learning at two of its high schools, which provide links to local community colleges, universities and other area secondary schools.

Montgomery County's high schools offer vocational education programs. Programs in each school are specifically tailored to retain existing community identities. Some of the vocational programs offered include: Agriculture, Business, Health Occupations, Home Economics, Marketing, Special Programs, and Technology.

The high schools also have an assortment of programs designed to encourage a cooperative partnership among area industries, government and education in meeting the needs of both students and industries for long-term economic development. More traditional approaches offered by the local school system include apprenticeship, on-site basic education and adult education programs.

All school districts in Virginia must meet criteria for the Standards of Learning tests. The Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools describe the commonwealth’s expectations for student learning and achievement in grades K-12 in four core areas: English, mathematics, science and history/social science. These standards represent a broad consensus of what parents, classroom teachers, school administrators, academic and business and community leaders believe schools should teach and students should learn. For the 2006-2007 school year, Montgomery County schools English performance was 83%, math performance was 75%, and science performance was 88%.