Graduates of Villa Maria College earn median 4-year earnings of $41,151, placing the institution in the 1.6th percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,359 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Villa Maria College in the 17.9th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Villa Maria College #1396 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 5.7th percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to NY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,204 (the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential).
The earnings pattern reflects the institution's focus on Visual and Performing Arts, which represents 56% of graduates. Graphic Communications leads with 21 graduates earning median earnings of $35,482, followed by Design and Applied Arts with 21 graduates earning $48,379. While institution-level earnings track NY's regional labor market, specific programs deliver materially stronger outcomes — Design and Applied Arts graduates earn $48,379, roughly 0.8× the national CIP-4 benchmark for the field.
Graduates of Villa Maria College earn median 4-year earnings of $41,151, placing the institution in the 1.6th percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,359 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Villa Maria College in the 17.9th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Villa Maria College #1396 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 5.7th percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to NY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,204 (the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential).
The earnings pattern reflects the institution's focus on Visual and Performing Arts, which represents 56% of graduates. Graphic Communications leads with 21 graduates earning median earnings of $35,482, followed by Design and Applied Arts with 21 graduates earning $48,379. While institution-level earnings track NY's regional labor market, specific programs deliver materially stronger outcomes — Design and Applied Arts graduates earn $48,379, roughly 0.8× the national CIP-4 benchmark for the field.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Villa Maria College earn median 4-year earnings of $41,151, placing the institution in the 1.6th percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,359 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Villa Maria College in the 17.9th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Villa Maria College #1396 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 5.7th percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to NY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,204 (the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential).
The earnings pattern reflects the institution's focus on Visual and Performing Arts, which represents 56% of graduates. Graphic Communications leads with 21 graduates earning median earnings of $35,482, followed by Design and Applied Arts with 21 graduates earning $48,379. While institution-level earnings track NY's regional labor market, specific programs deliver materially stronger outcomes — Design and Applied Arts graduates earn $48,379, roughly 0.8× the national CIP-4 benchmark for the field.
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Villa Maria College earn median 4-year earnings of $41,151, placing the institution in the 1.6th percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,359 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Villa Maria College in the 17.9th percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Villa Maria College #1396 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 5.7th percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent meaningful lifetime returns relative to NY's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,204 (the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential).
The earnings pattern reflects the institution's focus on Visual and Performing Arts, which represents 56% of graduates. Graphic Communications leads with 21 graduates earning median earnings of $35,482, followed by Design and Applied Arts with 21 graduates earning $48,379. While institution-level earnings track NY's regional labor market, specific programs deliver materially stronger outcomes — Design and Applied Arts graduates earn $48,379, roughly 0.8× the national CIP-4 benchmark for the field.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Villa Maria College's program mix is anchored in visual and performing arts — a distinctive identity shaped by the institution's focus on creative disciplines. Graphic Communications is the largest program with 21 graduates, followed by Design and Applied Arts with 21 graduates, Film/Video and Photographic Arts with 6 graduates, and Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management with 5 graduates. Across ranked programs serving roughly 53 students annually, the institution's program portfolio reflects deep concentration in creative and artistic fields. The earnings pattern reflects the nature of arts-focused training. Design and Applied Arts graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $48,379, while Graphic Communications graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $35,482. These figures represent outcomes for students pursuing careers in creative industries, where early-career earnings trajectories differ from business or engineering pathways. Arts represents 56% of graduates, with Business comprising 6% of the degree output — a portfolio that emphasizes artistic and creative specialization over broad disciplinary diversity. Villa Maria's positioning as a private arts-focused college in Buffalo reflects a deliberate institutional mission. Graduates in creative disciplines often enter fields where portfolio strength, internship experience, and industry connections matter as much as formal credentials.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
