1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of Virginia-Main Campus](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # University of Virginia-Main Campus Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do University of Virginia-Main Campus graduates earn? The reported median is $91,448 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $65,610 as its benchmark; the difference is $25,838 per year. Among nonprofit four-year institutions tracked by Azimuth, University of Virginia-Main Campus registers its return pillar in the 95th percentile. Graduates earn about $10,583 more than the model expects for similar students; that outcome sits in the 84th percentile nationally. The model attributes $8,942 to the mix of programs, which adds to expected earnings, and $1,641 to the university beyond that mix, which adds. The STEM component of the measured factors adds $4,176. Median earnings four years after completion are $91,448, a standing in the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Against a peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size), the university lands above by $25,838. Earnings vary substantially by program. The downside earnings scenario is $52,920 and the upside scenario is $126,775, a wide range estimated from the program mix. At the higher end, Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $148,175 four years after completion, from 51 degrees awarded. Systems Engineering follows at $144,830, and Computer and Information Sciences at $142,041. An estimated 35.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the university's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, this estimate indicates that a sizable portion of completers may be building additional human capital outside the earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $91,448 **Rank for difference from expectations** 84th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **University of Virginia-Main Campus reported median** $91,448 **Peer schools comparable schools · $25,838 below University of Virginia-Main Campus** $65,610 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $10,583 below University of Virginia-Main Campus** $80,865 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 $52,920 to $126,775, around the reported median of $91,448. Compare the lower scenario with [University of Virginia-Main Campus borrowing and monthly payments](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/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** $52,920 **Median · reported** $91,448 **Higher estimate** $126,775 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 University of Virginia-Main Campus 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). University of Virginia-Main Campus graduates’ reported earnings are $10,583 above that expectation, the 84th 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 University of Virginia-Main Campus 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.** +$8,942 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$1,641 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$10,583 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at University of Virginia-Main Campus report the highest earnings? The university's largest programs span a wide earnings range. Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn a median of $142,041 four years after completion, with 230 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #15 in its field. Management Science follows closely at $139,095, on 368 degrees awarded, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #3 nationally. By contrast, Biology awarded 337 degrees and shows a median of $70,240, ranking #29 nationally. Religion/Religious Studies reports $58,324 on 40 degrees awarded, with an Azimuth national rank of #1. The spread between the highest- and moderate-earning fields reflects the university's mix of technical and liberal-arts programs. University of Virginia-Main Campus offers 31 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, with earnings data available for 35 fields of study. The largest program with published earnings, Economics, awarded 465 degrees and shows median earnings of $110,773 four years after completion. Systems Engineering, with 81 degrees awarded, ranks #1 nationally and #1 in Virginia, with median earnings of $144,830. Human Development and Family Studies, with 58 degrees awarded, ranks #2 nationally and #1 in Virginia, with median earnings of $71,638. Religion/Religious Studies, with 40 degrees awarded, ranks #1 nationally and #1 in Virginia, with median earnings of $58,324. Management Science, with 368 degrees awarded, ranks #3 nationally and #1 in Virginia, with median earnings of $139,095. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Engineering** $148,175 **Systems Engineering** $144,830 **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $142,041 **Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods** $139,095 **Economics** $110,773 **Biomedical/Medical Engineering** $109,551 **Statistics** $108,532 **Chemical Engineering** $105,724 [Explore University of Virginia-Main Campus program cohorts and field ranks](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show a downside of $52,920, a typical outcome of $91,448, and an upside of $126,775. The spread reflects how much field choice matters: Computer Engineering reaches $148,175 at the high end, while Psychology, one of the largest programs with published earnings, sits at $62,794. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of University of Virginia-Main Campus who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $91,448. That is $25,838 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the university's median at the 95th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 3,256 completers. Graduates earn about $10,583 more than the model expects for similar students. That result sits at the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from a downside of $52,920 to an upside of $126,775, with the typical scenario matching the institutional median. An estimated 35.1% 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/).