West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech) was founded in 1895 in Montgomery (Fayette County) to prepare students for college. Over time, it changed names and purposes, becoming a four-year college in 1931 and focusing on engineering, science, and nursing. It officially joined West Virginia University in 1996. Over the years, it prepared many students to become mining engineers in West Virginia.

Tech grew in the 1960s, adding new buildings and more students. But in later years, enrollment dropped. In 2015, WVU decided to move Tech to Beckley, where it remains today.

WVU Tech is still known for its engineering programs, although in 2024, it ended its degrees in chemistry, math, and aviation management as part of a university-wide reduction in courses and degree programs.