1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Valparaiso University](/school/valparaiso-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Valparaiso University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/valparaiso-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/valparaiso-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/valparaiso-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/valparaiso-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/valparaiso-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Valparaiso University graduates earn? The reported median is $69,228 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $68,250 as its benchmark; the difference is $978 per year. Valparaiso University's strongest pillar is return on investment, where Azimuth places the university in the 80th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completion, graduates earn a median of $69,228, in the 75th percentile. That sits above the peer median of $68,250 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $978. Graduates earn about $7,268 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 77th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,242. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $1,026. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,446. A median that beats both the model and the peer set points to a return that holds up across comparisons. The variation in earnings across Valparaiso University's 27 programs with published data is wide: earnings scenarios span from a downside of $51,926 to an upside of $94,284 four years after completion, with the typical scenario at $69,228. The highest-earning programs show the upper end of that spread. Health Sciences completers earn a median of $115,095, Computer Engineering graduates reach $96,079, and Computer Science completers earn $94,111. An estimated 29.3% 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, the median earnings understate the eventual earnings of the sizable share of completers who pursue advanced degrees. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $69,228 **Rank for difference from expectations** 77th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Valparaiso University reported median** $69,228 **Peer schools comparable schools · $978 below Valparaiso University** $68,250 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $7,268 below Valparaiso University** $61,960 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 many Valparaiso University students return and finish their degrees? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2024-25 **Completed within six years** 70.2% **Pell recipients completed within six years** 58.3% Source: Valparaiso University Common Data Set 2024-25, B4–B11 six-year completion. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $51,926 to $94,284, around the reported median of $69,228. Compare the lower scenario with [Valparaiso University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/valparaiso-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** $51,926 **Median · reported** $69,228 **Higher estimate** $94,284 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 Valparaiso 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). Valparaiso University graduates’ reported earnings are $7,268 above that expectation, the 77th 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 Valparaiso 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.** +$6,242 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$1,026 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$7,268 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Valparaiso University report the highest earnings? Valparaiso University's program mix spans fields with sharply different earnings four years after completion, and the highest-earning programs are not always the largest. Health Sciences, the fifth-largest program with 28 degrees awarded, leads the university at $115,095. Computer Engineering and Computer Science follow at $96,079 and $94,111, with 10 and 22 degrees awarded respectively. The largest program, Nursing, awarded 147 degrees and shows median earnings of $81,278, which sits below the engineering and computing fields. Psychology lands at $58,104 on 39 degrees awarded. Biology reaches $61,072 on 36 degrees awarded. The spread between these moderate-earning fields and the highest-earning field shows the earnings range across program choices. Valparaiso University's strongest return on investment reflects a program mix where health professions and engineering account for more than four in ten bachelor's degrees. The largest program, Nursing, awarded 147 degrees and its completers earn a median of $81,278 four years after completion. Mechanical Engineering follows with 42 degrees awarded and a median of $90,583, while Psychology awarded 39 degrees and shows a median of $58,104. The highest earnings come from Health Sciences, which awarded 28 degrees and shows a median of $115,095. Computer Engineering awarded 10 degrees and its completers earn a median of $96,079. Computer Science awarded 22 degrees and shows a median of $94,111. The university publishes earnings data for 27 bachelor's programs. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General** $115,095 **Computer Engineering** $96,079 **Computer Science** $94,111 **Mechanical Engineering** $90,583 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering** $87,944 **Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods** $86,317 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $81,278 **Civil Engineering** $80,173 [Explore Valparaiso University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/valparaiso-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings vary widely by field, a pattern captured in earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix. The downside earnings scenario sits at $51,926, the typical scenario at $69,228, and the upside scenario reaches $94,284. Among the largest programs, Health Sciences reaches $115,095 at the high end, while Psychology sits at $58,104 at the lower end. Valparaiso University graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $69,228 four years after completion. The figure comes from 1,080 federally aided completers and places the median in the 75th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $7,268 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that falls at the 77th percentile. The gap compares actual pay with what the model predicts for students from similar institutions and fields. The earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show how outcomes can vary by field. The downside scenario is $51,926, typical earnings are $69,228, and the upside scenario reaches $94,284. An estimated 29.3% 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/).