1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Norfolk State University](/school/norfolk-state-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Norfolk State University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/norfolk-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/norfolk-state-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/norfolk-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/norfolk-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/norfolk-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Norfolk State University graduates earn? The reported median is $52,371 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$4,930 per year. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $52,371, which ranks in the 24th percentile. That is $4,930 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the return pillar at the 40th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,404 more than the model expects for similar students. That gap sits at the 60th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $1,991. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $3,395. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $984. The earnings scenarios show a wide spread: $48,563 on the downside against $80,045 on the upside. The typical earnings scenario sits at $52,371. These are earnings scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. The upside figure shows the higher-earning program clusters in the university's mix, while the downside shows the lower-earning ones. An estimated 32.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $52,371 **Rank for difference from expectations** 60th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Norfolk State University reported median** $52,371 **Peer schools comparable schools · $4,930 above Norfolk State University** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $1,404 below Norfolk State University** $50,967 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $48,563 to $80,045, around the reported median of $52,371. Compare the lower scenario with [Norfolk State University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/norfolk-state-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $48,563 **Median · reported** $52,371 **Higher estimate** $80,045 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Norfolk State University graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Norfolk State University graduates’ reported earnings are $1,404 above that expectation, the 60th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Norfolk State University caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** \-$1,991 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$3,395 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$1,404 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Norfolk State University report the highest earnings? Program-level earnings at Norfolk State University are withheld, so the return picture rests on the school-wide median and the earnings scenarios. The earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a wide spread: a downside of $48,563 and an upside of $80,045, with a typical scenario of $52,371. The degree mix is led by Business at 12.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed closely by Social Sciences at 12.0% and Health Professions at 10.5%. 16.0% of degrees are in STEM fields. An estimated 32.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. That share means four-year earnings figures capture the early-career outcomes for most, but not all, graduates. Norfolk State University awards bachelor's degrees across several fields, with Business leading at 12.4% of degrees awarded. Social Sciences follows at 12.0%, and Health Professions accounts for 10.5%. The university does not have nationally ranked programs among nonprofit four-year institutions, so the earnings scenarios provide a view of how outcomes vary by field. The typical earnings scenario is $52,371, while the upside scenario reaches $80,045 and the downside falls to $48,563. The upside and downside scenarios correspond to the higher-earning and lower-earning program clusters in the university's mix. [Explore Norfolk State University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/norfolk-state-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from a downside of $48,563 to a typical outcome of $52,371 and an upside of $80,045. The spread between the downside and upside shows how much earnings can vary by field. Norfolk State University graduates earn a median of $52,371 four years after completion, based on an earnings cohort of 866 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled. Azimuth places that figure in the 24th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,404 more than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 60th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a range from $48,563 on the downside to $80,045 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $52,371. An estimated 32.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).