Graduates of Norfolk State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,371, placing Norfolk State University in the 12.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,196 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 67.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Norfolk State University #886 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Current program-level earnings are too sparse to support a major-specific earnings summary.
Graduates of Norfolk State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,371, placing Norfolk State University in the 12.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,196 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 67.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Norfolk State University #886 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Current program-level earnings are too sparse to support a major-specific earnings summary.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Moderate debt load. Repaying $29,000 requires planning but is achievable.
Graduates of Norfolk State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,371, placing Norfolk State University in the 12.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,196 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 67.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Norfolk State University #886 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Current program-level earnings are too sparse to support a major-specific earnings summary.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Norfolk State University's program mix is anchored in Business, with additional concentration in Social Sciences and Arts. The university's largest programs by graduate count include Business/Commerce, General (71 graduates), Psychology, General (65 graduates), Sociology (61 graduates), Social Work (57 graduates), and Interdisciplinary Studies (56 graduates). Together, these programs reflect a portfolio oriented toward applied professional fields and public-sector career pathways common at historically Black universities with strong regional workforce ties. Psychology, General stands out as the program combining meaningful cohort scale with the strongest aggregate earnings contribution at Norfolk State University — the combination of graduate volume and earnings outcomes makes it the institution's primary driver of long-term financial return, as described in how Azimuth evaluates programs. Business accounts for 12% of degree output, with Social Sciences representing 12% and Arts at 6%. This distribution reflects an institution that prepares graduates for roles in business, government, and community-oriented services rather than concentrating narrowly in high-wage technical fields. The labor-market alignment of Norfolk State University's dominant program families is worth considering alongside earnings figures. Business and public-administration-adjacent fields offer graduates relatively stable hiring demand across economic cycles, and the supply and demand for college graduates provides broader context for how these program families track against national wage trends. Across 23 programs serving roughly 685 students annually, the institution's strength lies in breadth of access to applied professional credentials rather than concentration in a narrow set of high-earning technical specializations.
Graduates of Norfolk State University earn median 4-year earnings of $52,371, placing Norfolk State University in the 12.3 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $2,196 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 67.2 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Norfolk State University #886 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Current program-level earnings are too sparse to support a major-specific earnings summary.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
