1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Vanguard University of Southern California](/school/vanguard-university-of-southern-california/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Vanguard University of Southern California Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/vanguard-university-of-southern-california/)[Cost & aid](/school/vanguard-university-of-southern-california/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/vanguard-university-of-southern-california/admissions/)[Majors](/school/vanguard-university-of-southern-california/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/vanguard-university-of-southern-california/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Vanguard University of Southern California graduates earn? The reported median is $65,874 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $55,915 as its benchmark; the difference is $9,959 per year. Vanguard University of Southern California posts median earnings of $65,874 four years after completion for federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, placing it in the 68th percentile. That figure is $9,959 above the peer median of $55,915, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $3,683 more than the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, in the 67th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth places its return pillar in the 54th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $1,298. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $4,981. Field choice matters at Vanguard University of Southern California because modeled earnings span a broad range. The downside earnings scenario is $44,952, and the upside scenario is $87,066; both are estimated from the program mix rather than observed groups. Published program medians four years after completion range from $102,239 in Nursing to $62,957 in Business Administration and Management and $47,582 in Psychology. These field-level results help explain the spread between the earnings scenarios. An estimated 30.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, so graduates continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $65,874 **Rank for difference from expectations** 67th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Vanguard University of Southern California reported median** $65,874 **Peer schools comparable schools · $9,959 below Vanguard University of Southern California** $55,915 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $3,683 below Vanguard University of Southern California** $62,191 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 $44,952 to $87,066, around the reported median of $65,874. Compare the lower scenario with [Vanguard University of Southern California borrowing and monthly payments](/school/vanguard-university-of-southern-california/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** $44,952 **Median · reported** $65,874 **Higher estimate** $87,066 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 Vanguard University of Southern California 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). Vanguard University of Southern California graduates’ reported earnings are $3,683 above that expectation, the 67th 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 Vanguard University of Southern California 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.** \-$1,298 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$4,981 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$3,683 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Vanguard University of Southern California report the highest earnings? Available program figures place Nursing at the higher-earning end, with median earnings of $102,239 four years after completion across 62 degrees awarded in one academic year. Business Administration and Management occupies a more moderate position at $62,957, with 53 degrees awarded. Psychology is lower among the available fields, at $47,582 and 69 degrees awarded. The contrast between the health field and the business and psychology fields shows that the school-level earnings picture can look different depending on field. These figures are program medians four years after completion, and the degree counts describe awards in a single academic year rather than the earnings cohorts. Program choice matters at Vanguard University of Southern California, where the available fields show a wide spread in earnings four years after completion. Business is the largest program family, accounting for 17.4% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Published earnings data cover 3 fields. Nursing awarded 62 degrees and had median earnings of $102,239 four years after completion. Business Administration and Management awarded 53 degrees, with median earnings of $62,957 at the same point. Psychology, the largest listed program, awarded 69 degrees and had median earnings of $47,582. The contrast across these fields makes the intended major central to the earnings picture. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $102,239 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $62,957 **Psychology, General** $47,582 [Explore Vanguard University of Southern California program cohorts and field ranks](/school/vanguard-university-of-southern-california/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis The earnings scenarios, grounded in the program mix, place the downside at $44,952, the typical scenario at $65,874, and the upside at $87,066. Nursing is the high end at $102,239 four years after completion, whereas Psychology, the lowest-earning large program, is at $47,582. The spread shows variation by field rather than observed groups. Vanguard University of Southern California shows a favorable earnings picture for its federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, with median earnings of $65,874 four years after completion. Azimuth places those earnings in the 68th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, drawing on an earnings cohort of 113 completers. A typical modeled scenario based on the program mix places earnings at $65,874 four years after completion; this is a scenario, not an observed graduate group. An estimated 30.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. The earnings percentile and the typical scenario offer a consistent view of outcomes, while graduate study remains part of the picture for an estimated share of completers. ## 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/).