Best Computer Engineering Programs in Virginia (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in Virginia
This page ranks the 7 Computer Engineering programs in Virginia by median earnings of Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of Virginia-Main Campus leads the list with median earnings of $148,175 for its graduates four years after completing.
The second-ranked program, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, reports $122,026, a gap of $26,149 from the top. Across the listed schools, the median figure is $117,942, with a range from $63,600 to $148,175.
For 2 of the 7 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 6 of the 7 programs, or 86% of the list. Old Dominion University posts the lowest average net price at $14,638. George Mason University ranks 33rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Virginia-Main Campus · Charlottesville, VA | $148,175 | $21,565 | $8,174 | 16.8% |
| University of Virginia-Main Campus reports median earnings of $148,175 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, the highest on this list, alongside an admission rate of 17%. | |||||
| 2 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $122,026 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| With a cohort of 184 graduates in the earnings cohort, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University posts median earnings of $122,026 four years after completing and an average net price of $24,953. | |||||
| 3 | Virginia Commonwealth University · Richmond, VA | $118,273 | $23,433 | $17,512 | 92.6% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University admits 93% of applicants and its Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $118,273 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $117,942 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
| George Mason University ranks 33rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Computer Engineering graduates report median earnings of $117,942 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Old Dominion University · Norfolk, VA | $94,542 | $14,638 | $9,739 | 90.4% |
| Old Dominion University carries the lowest average net price on the page at $14,638, and its Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $94,542 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Christopher Newport University · Newport News, VA | $64,493 | $23,015 | $12,461 | 86.0% |
| Christopher Newport University reports median earnings of $64,493 for its Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $12,461 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 7 | Liberty University · Lynchburg, VA | $63,600 | $29,357 | $30,667 | 99.0% |
| A private nonprofit university in Lynchburg, Liberty University admits 99% of applicants and its Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $63,600 four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Computer Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Virginia appear. The figures cover federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 2 of the 7 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between first-ranked University of Virginia-Main Campus and second-ranked Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is $26,149, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $84,575.
Job market context in Virginia
Computer Engineering graduates in Virginia enter a labor market linked to occupations such as Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers. The median annual wage across those occupations is $134,858, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $105,686. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 19.8% higher, with 7,910 projected openings a year. That works out to about 2,306 openings a year for every hundred graduates, which means more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing; the market figures describe the occupations, and the two are not the same measure.