Valley City State University graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $52,034, placing the institution in the 11.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,231 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Valley City State University in the 35.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Valley City State University #832 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Valley City State University's concentration in education and related fields. Teacher Education is the largest program with 115 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $48,841, representing 1.0× the national benchmark for the field. The Subject-Specific Teacher Education program graduates 35 students earning median 4-year earnings of $52,500, while Business Administration with 27 graduates rounds out the institution's core academic portfolio. These programs anchor Valley City State University's mission-driven focus on preparing educators and professionals for regional workforce needs.
Valley City State University graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $52,034, placing the institution in the 11.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,231 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Valley City State University in the 35.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Valley City State University #832 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Valley City State University's concentration in education and related fields. Teacher Education is the largest program with 115 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $48,841, representing 1.0× the national benchmark for the field. The Subject-Specific Teacher Education program graduates 35 students earning median 4-year earnings of $52,500, while Business Administration with 27 graduates rounds out the institution's core academic portfolio. These programs anchor Valley City State University's mission-driven focus on preparing educators and professionals for regional workforce needs.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Valley City State University graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $52,034, placing the institution in the 11.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,231 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Valley City State University in the 35.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Valley City State University #832 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Valley City State University's concentration in education and related fields. Teacher Education is the largest program with 115 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $48,841, representing 1.0× the national benchmark for the field. The Subject-Specific Teacher Education program graduates 35 students earning median 4-year earnings of $52,500, while Business Administration with 27 graduates rounds out the institution's core academic portfolio. These programs anchor Valley City State University's mission-driven focus on preparing educators and professionals for regional workforce needs.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Valley City State University's program mix is anchored in education and teacher-preparation fields—a signature aligned with the institution's regional mission as a public liberal arts university in North Dakota. Teacher Education is the largest program with 115 graduates, followed by Subject-Specific Teacher Education with 35 graduates, Business Administration with 27 graduates, Music, and Health/Medical Preparatory Programs. Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 254 students annually, several deliver solid four-year earnings outcomes aligned with regional labor-market demand. The earnings pattern reflects the institution's education-focused portfolio. Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management graduates earn median earnings of $69,799 four years after enrollment with 11 graduates, while Business Administration graduates earn $58,067 with 27 graduates. Subject-Specific Teacher Education delivers median earnings of $52,500, and Teacher Education graduates earn $48,841. These outcomes are consistent with regional education and public-service sector compensation, where demand for qualified teachers and administrators remains steady across rural and small-city labor markets. The program-mix signature—dominated by Education at 55%, followed by Business at 12% and Arts at 9%—positions Valley City State as a teaching-focused institution with complementary liberal arts breadth. This concentration in education and public-service pathways aligns with the supply and demand for college graduates, where education and social-service fields show sustained regional hiring in North Dakota and the upper Midwest. For students seeking stable, locally rooted careers in education, administration, or community service, the program portfolio offers direct pathways to employment in sectors with predictable demand.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Valley City State University graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $52,034, placing the institution in the 11.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $5,231 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Valley City State University in the 35.6 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Valley City State University #832 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects Valley City State University's concentration in education and related fields. Teacher Education is the largest program with 115 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $48,841, representing 1.0× the national benchmark for the field. The Subject-Specific Teacher Education program graduates 35 students earning median 4-year earnings of $52,500, while Business Administration with 27 graduates rounds out the institution's core academic portfolio. These programs anchor Valley City State University's mission-driven focus on preparing educators and professionals for regional workforce needs.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
