University Of Virginia-Main Campus

Walsh College's cost structure and financial aid profile reflect its positioning as a private nonprofit business-focused institution. The college structures aid around need-based support, with financial aid packages designed to reduce the gap between published cost and what families actually pay.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $17,500, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $28,903; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For the typical graduate at University of Virginia-Main Campus's median four-year earnings of $91,448, median federal debt of $17,500 projects to a monthly payment of about $198 under standard ten-year repayment.

In a downside earnings scenario anchored on lower-earning program clusters, four-year earnings of $52,920 would create tighter cash flow relative to that same payment — a pattern worth exploring at the program level and by major rather than at the institutional average. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning and income-driven repayment options — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of University of Virginia-Main Campus earn median earnings of $91,448 four years after enrollment, placing University of Virginia-Main Campus in the 93.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs well above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band).

Graduates earn about $11,374 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 87.7 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks University of Virginia-Main Campus #65 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings pattern at University of Virginia-Main Campus reflects a Liberal Arts-dominant program mix — Social Sciences accounts for 17% of degrees, followed by Engineering at 10% and Business at 7%. Economics combines large cohort scale with strong earnings, making it a key contributor to the university's overall return profile.

Among the highest-earning subfields, Azimuth ranks Economics #34 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/), with graduates earning median earnings of $110,773 four years after enrollment — 1.3x the national benchmark for the field. Azimuth ranks Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods #4 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $139,095, and Azimuth ranks Biology, General #37 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions with median earnings of $70,240.

General Studies, the largest program with 1,247 graduates, and Psychology, General with 251 graduates round out the top programs, with Psychology, General graduates earning median earnings of $62,794 four years after enrollment.

University of Virginia-Main Campus is anchored in business and accounting education, a focus that shapes both its program portfolio and graduate outcomes. General Studies is the largest program with 1,247 graduates annually, followed by Economics, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Biology, General, and Psychology, General.

Across 32 ranked programs serving roughly 5,475 students, the institution's strength concentrates in applied business and accounting fields where employers recruit directly into stable, well-paying roles. The earnings pattern reflects this specialization.

Artificial Intelligence graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $142,041, while Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $139,095 and Economics graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $110,773. These outcomes cluster in the applied-professional range typical of business-focused institutions in the Midwest, where accounting, finance, and management majors lead to steady career progression and employer demand.

Nursing and International Relations and National Security Studies round out the earnings leaders, both delivering solid four-year outcomes aligned with regional labor-market expectations for business graduates. University of Virginia-Main Campus's program concentration in Liberal Arts reflects a deliberate institutional positioning as a practitioner-oriented business school rather than a broad liberal-arts university.

This focus creates a cohesive student experience where most peers share similar career trajectories and employer networks. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how accounting and business administration align with sustained national hiring demand, a factor that supports the consistency of outcomes across the institution's dominant program families.