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
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.
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.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
