Students at Randolph-Macon College achieve above-average long-term earnings that place the institution in the top third nationally for return on investment, reflecting solid career preparation and financial outcomes.
Graduates demonstrate exceptional financial responsibility with perfect loan repayment rates and strong economic mobility that ranks in the top 20% nationwide.
Randolph-Macon College is a small private liberal arts institution in Virginia that delivers above-average earnings outcomes for graduates. With median 10-year earnings of $58,448, the college places in the 71st percentile nationally for return on investment, demonstrating that graduates achieve solid financial outcomes despite the higher costs typical of private education. The institution serves a selective student body, with about 20% of students receiving Pell Grants and roughly 23% being first-generation college students.
What distinguishes Randolph-Macon is its combination of personalized liberal arts education with practical career preparation. The college maintains strong completion rates, with 75% of students graduating within six years, and graduates demonstrate exceptional loan repayment behavior. Located in Ashland, Virginia, the college provides access to both Richmond's job market and broader Mid-Atlantic opportunities.
As a small private college, Randolph-Macon offers the intimate campus experience and close mentorship that many students seek, while delivering earnings outcomes that justify the investment. For families who prioritize the liberal arts tradition combined with career readiness, the college represents a solid choice in Virginia's competitive higher education landscape.
Randolph-Macon College's program portfolio reflects the breadth typical of liberal arts institutions, with particular strength in business and life sciences fields. Biology stands out as the college's largest major, graduating 54 students annually, though early-career earnings of about $30,988 reflect the field's typical trajectory toward graduate school or entry-level research positions. This pattern is common among liberal arts colleges where many biology graduates pursue medical school, graduate study, or research careers that show stronger earnings growth over time.
The college's business and accounting programs demonstrate stronger immediate financial returns. Accounting Technology graduates earn a median of $47,260 early in their careers, representing some of the college's highest starting salaries and reflecting strong employer demand for accounting skills. The college's highest aggregate return program, while not specifically identified, produces graduates earning around $44,276, suggesting solid career preparation across multiple fields.
What distinguishes Randolph-Macon's program mix is the combination of traditional liberal arts breadth with practical career preparation. The college's small size allows for personalized attention and mentorship that helps students in all fields develop the critical thinking, communication, and leadership skills that drive long-term career success, contributing to the institution's above-average earnings outcomes despite its liberal arts focus.
Graduates of Randolph-Macon College achieve solid long-term financial outcomes, with median earnings of $58,448 ten years after enrollment, placing the institution in the 71st percentile nationally for return on investment. This performance reflects the college's success in preparing students for careers that provide steady earning potential, even though graduates may not immediately reach the highest salary tiers seen at larger research universities or technical institutions.
The college's strongest financial returns come from business and accounting programs, where graduates often see early-career earnings in the mid-$40,000s to upper-$40,000s range. Accounting Technology graduates earn a median of $47,260 early in their careers, while the college's highest aggregate return program produces graduates earning around $44,276. Biology, the college's largest major with 54 graduates, shows more modest early earnings at about $30,988, typical for students who often pursue graduate school or entry-level positions in healthcare and research fields.
What sets Randolph-Macon apart is not necessarily the highest starting salaries, but rather the consistent career progression and financial stability its graduates achieve. The liberal arts foundation, combined with practical career preparation, helps students develop the critical thinking and communication skills that lead to steady advancement over time, contributing to the college's above-average long-term earnings performance.
Affordability at Randolph-Macon College reflects the typical cost structure of a private liberal arts institution, with net prices that require significant family financial commitment. Low-income students pay about $20,959 annually after aid, while middle-income families face costs around $28,921 per year, and higher-income families pay approximately $29,417. These prices place the college in the 21st percentile nationally for affordability, meaning costs are higher than at most comparable institutions.
Despite the higher upfront costs, the college's financial aid approach helps make attendance possible for students from various economic backgrounds. The relatively modest difference between middle- and high-income net prices suggests that the college provides meaningful aid to families across the income spectrum, though the overall cost structure remains substantial compared to public alternatives.
What makes these costs more manageable is the college's track record of graduate success in loan repayment. Students typically leave with about $27,000 in federal loan debt, and the college maintains a 0% federal loan default rate, indicating that graduates generally earn enough to service their educational debt successfully. This combination of manageable debt levels and strong repayment outcomes helps justify the higher upfront investment for many families.
Randolph-Macon College Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
