Students at Virginia Commonwealth University achieve earnings that consistently exceed typical outcomes for public university graduates, reflecting strong career preparation across diverse academic programs.
The university's urban Richmond location and comprehensive programming create reliable pathways to financial success for students from all backgrounds.
Virginia Commonwealth University stands out as a comprehensive public research university that consistently delivers strong outcomes for its diverse student body. Located in Richmond, VCA offers the resources and opportunities of a large urban institution while maintaining accessibility for students from various backgrounds. The university serves nearly 30% Pell Grant recipients and more than a quarter first-generation college students, yet still achieves earnings outcomes that place it well above average nationally.
What makes VCU particularly compelling is its ability to balance broad access with meaningful career preparation. Graduates earn a median of $58,128 ten years after enrollment, reflecting the university's strength across multiple fields from business and psychology to computer engineering and the arts. The institution's urban Richmond location provides extensive internship and job placement opportunities, while its large scale ensures robust alumni networks and employer recognition.
As a major public research university, VCU combines academic breadth with practical career focus. Students benefit from the resources of a comprehensive institution while gaining access to Richmond's diverse economy, which includes healthcare, finance, government, and emerging technology sectors. This combination of accessibility, urban opportunity, and solid outcomes makes VCU a reliable choice for students seeking both educational quality and career advancement.
Virginia Commonwealth University's program portfolio reflects both academic breadth and career-focused preparation across multiple high-demand fields. Business leads as the highest aggregate-return program, graduating 354 students annually who earn around $44,735 early in their careers and benefit from Richmond's strong business community connections. Psychology represents the university's largest program with 449 graduates, offering moderate early earnings around $30,926 but providing excellent preparation for graduate study and diverse human services careers.
Computer Engineering delivers some of VCU's strongest early earnings at approximately $76,460, though with smaller cohorts of about 36 graduates annually. This program benefits from Richmond's growing technology sector and provides excellent preparation for high-demand technical roles. The contrast between high-enrollment programs like Psychology and specialized technical fields like Computer Engineering demonstrates VCU's ability to serve diverse student interests while maintaining quality outcomes.
VCU's comprehensive program mix, combined with its urban Richmond location, creates multiple pathways to career success. The university's large scale ensures robust employer relationships and alumni networks across fields, while Richmond's diverse economy provides internship and job opportunities in healthcare, government, finance, and emerging technology sectors. This combination of academic variety and urban opportunity makes VCU particularly effective at matching student interests with career outcomes.
Virginia Commonwealth University graduates achieve solid long-term financial outcomes that reflect the institution's diverse academic portfolio and urban advantages. Ten years after enrollment, graduates earn a median of $58,128, placing the university above average nationally for earnings outcomes. Students also benefit from earnings that slightly exceed expectations compared with similar students at other institutions, demonstrating VCU's ability to add value beyond what demographics alone would predict.
Program-level outcomes vary significantly, offering students multiple pathways to career success. Business majors, who represent VCU's largest high-return program with 354 graduates, earn around $44,735 early in their careers and benefit from strong employer connections in Richmond's business community. Computer Engineering delivers some of the highest earnings at roughly $76,460, though with smaller cohorts of about 36 graduates annually. Psychology, the university's most popular major with 449 graduates, shows more moderate early earnings around $30,926 but provides a foundation for diverse career paths including graduate study and human services roles.
VCU's location in Richmond enhances earning potential by providing access to Virginia's capital city job market, which includes state government, healthcare systems, financial services, and growing technology sectors. The university's large scale and comprehensive program mix create strong alumni networks and employer relationships that support career advancement across multiple industries.
Virginia Commonwealth University offers reasonable affordability across income levels, with particularly strong value for low- and middle-income families. Low-income students pay approximately $12,830 annually after aid, while middle-income families see net costs around $16,455 per year. Even higher-income families face manageable costs at about $28,474 annually, reflecting VCU's commitment to accessible public education in an urban setting.
The university's debt structure remains sustainable for most graduates. Typical students leave with about $21,500 in federal loan debt, a reasonable level given VCU's median earnings of $58,128 ten years out. Parent PLUS borrowing averages $22,177, which represents a moderate contribution level for families who choose to help finance their student's education. The combination of reasonable net prices and manageable debt levels creates a financial framework that works for families across the income spectrum.
What strengthens VCU's affordability story is the strong loan repayment performance among graduates. The university shows excellent repayment patterns, with borrowers paying down balances faster than national averages and maintaining healthy financial trajectories after graduation. This repayment success reflects both the solid earnings outcomes and the reasonable debt levels that characterize the VCU experience.
Virginia Commonwealth University Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
