College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

Virginia Commonwealth University

VALarge public institution · Overall rank #171 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth composite: 88th percentile among nonprofit four year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university in Richmond, Virginia, where the degree mix is led by Visual & Performing Arts, Business, and Psychology. Most graduates are estimated to go into jobs rather than on to further study, and mobility is among the highest we track.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures—field of study, enrollment and the local labor market—adds, while the unexplained remainder subtracts.

Students who arrive with Pell Grants finish at a rate slightly above the entering cohort as a whole. Affordability is around the average, so the net price picture is mixed: the lowest income band pays well below the published cost, while the highest pays closer to it.

The admission rate is above the median for comparable institutions. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are much smaller and concentrated in engineering and computing.

Virginia Commonwealth University at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
92.6%
Six-year completion[2]
63.2%
Four-year earnings[3]
$64,703

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$20,925
Median student debt[4]
$21,500
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$23,585

Virginia Commonwealth University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university in Richmond, Virginia, enrolling 20,753 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the top fifth of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (88th percentile).

The university admits 92.6% of applicants, a rate above the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Of full-time bachelor's-seeking students who start, 85.3% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.1%.

The six-year graduation rate for the first-time, full-time cohort is 63.2%, compared to a peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 25.9% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students.

The shape is a broad-access public campus where mobility is the strongest and affordability the weakest. Access and return sit between them, with access the higher of the two. The four pillars are spread apart, with mobility far ahead of the others.

Mobility is the clearest strength at the 94th percentile. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, access sits in the 76th percentile and return in the 64th percentile.

Affordability, the weakest pillar, sits in the 46th percentile. For families weighing the school, strong mobility and access sit beside a less favorable affordability reading.

31.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, a measure of financial access that describes the university's population of students who qualify for federal need-based aid. Those students complete at 65.5%, 2.3 percentage points above the rate for the cohort as a whole (63.2%).

Pell recipients finish at a higher rate than the entering class overall, a pattern that accompanies the access pillar, where Azimuth ranks Virginia Commonwealth University #354 among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Virginia Commonwealth University #94 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $2,975 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that coincides with Pell completion rates running above the overall figure. Both measures sit above their comparison points, a combination that accompanies the mobility pillar's standing among nonprofit four-year institutions.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

Virginia Commonwealth University rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#171

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 94
Access & reach
National percentile: 76
Affordability
National percentile: 46
Return on investment
National percentile: 64

Top-ranked majors

  1. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other#3
  2. Biological and Physical Sciences#8
  3. Security Science and Technology#11

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / Virginia Commonwealth University briefing

Virginia Commonwealth University cost & financial aid[6][7]

For aid recipients, Virginia Commonwealth University sees its published price reduced substantially after aid. The published cost of attendance is $38,954, while the average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $23,433.

Financial aid offsets $15,521 on average, and aid covers about 40% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported $13,520 for in-state tuition, $3,720 in required fees, and $15,128 for on-campus food and housing for the 2025-26 academic year.

It reported $35,994 in out-of-state tuition, and 0.0% of full-time undergraduates paid more than the base charge. The is $7,799 above the $15,634 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places affordability in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Virginia Commonwealth University lists a published cost of attendance of $38,954, though actual costs vary by family income. The average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $17,512 for the lowest-income band, $17,777 for the lower-middle band, $20,925 for the middle-income band, $24,691 for the upper-middle band, and $32,739 for the high-income band.

The gap from lowest to highest is $15,227. Azimuth places the affordability pillar in the 46th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid covers about 40% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, with average aid savings of $15,521. Across all aid recipients, the average net price is $23,433.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $15,634, placing the university's average net price $7,799 above that benchmark. Aid reduces the sticker price substantially, yet the remaining cost sits above the peer median.

Median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,500 among borrowers who finish. The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $20,076, making the university's median $1,424 above that figure.

An estimated 90.1% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing is $23,585.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$20,925

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at Virginia Commonwealth University

At Virginia Commonwealth University, borrowing is widespread, and completed borrowers’ federal debt is above the comparable-school midpoint. 90.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.

Among borrowers who completed, median federal student loan debt is $21,500. The peer median—the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size)—is $20,076, leaving the university’s median $1,424 above it.

Separate parent borrowers have median Parent PLUS borrowing of $23,585. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 58% of graduates borrowed from any source, at an average cumulative $29,417 per borrower.

The reported borrowers include 56% of graduates with federal loans averaging $20,305. They also include 14% of graduates with private loans averaging $39,795.

Virginia Commonwealth University shows above-expected earnings, though its median debt sits above the comparable-institution benchmark. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $64,703 four years after completion, placing the university in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $2,975 more than the model expects for similar students. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, stands in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The earnings scenarios range from $48,501 in the downside case to $85,395 in the upside case, with $64,703 as the typical scenario. Median federal student loan debt at completion is $21,500, $1,424 above the $20,076 peer median at comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. Above-expected earnings and above-peer debt point in different directions.

For the separate population of Parent PLUS parent borrowers, median federal borrowing is $23,585. For student borrowers who completed, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$21,500
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$23,585

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$244/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$300/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / Virginia Commonwealth University briefing

Virginia Commonwealth University career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

The return picture is mixed: earnings exceed the model’s expectation, though they sit below the comparable-institution median. Azimuth places Virginia Commonwealth University in the 64th percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions.

For earnings beyond expectations, the gap between graduate earnings and the model’s estimate for similar students, graduates earn about $2,975 more than the model expects for similar students. That result stands in the 65th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,507. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,532.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,111. Median earnings four years after completion are $64,703, in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610, with earnings $907 below it.

Virginia Commonwealth University graduates show solid earnings several years after finishing, with a median of $64,703 four years after completion. This figure describes federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, rather than every person who attended the university.

Azimuth places the four-year earnings measure in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings cohort includes 6,192 completers, giving the reported median a broad completion-based base.

Earnings scenarios offer a separate view of possible outcomes from the program mix; they are scenarios, not observed groups. An estimated 32.1% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix.

The median earnings, cohort size, and graduate-study estimate describe a school where post-completion paths are not all the same.

Virginia Commonwealth University graduates have median earnings of $64,703 four years after completion, placing the university in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median is $907 below the peer median of $65,610, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Graduates earn about $2,975 more than the model expects for similar students. This earnings-beyond-expectations measure, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 65th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $5,507. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $2,532.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,111. Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $48,501 on the downside to $85,395 on the upside.

Azimuth places the return pillar in the 64th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The peer comparison and modeled expectations point in different directions.

Psychology, the largest program, awarded 540 degrees and had median earnings of $51,440 four years after completion; Azimuth ranks it #124 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Computer and Information Sciences had median earnings of $118,521, ranks #27 nationally with Azimuth, and stands at 1.28x of the national median for its field.

Computer and Information Sciences awarded 118 degrees and reached $118,521 four years after completion. These figures show wide variation across program choices.

Program choice matters at Virginia Commonwealth University: earnings scenarios run from a downside of $48,501 to an upside of $85,395 four years after completion. These are earnings scenarios based on the program mix, not earnings bands of observed graduates.

The financial picture is mixed: costs and borrowing sit above comparable-school reference points, while the earnings model is favorable. At Virginia Commonwealth University, average net price, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $23,433.

For comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median, the middle value, is $15,634, and the university's average net price is above that figure. Federal student loan borrowers who completed had median debt of $21,500, above the peer median of $20,076.

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $244 a month if repaid over ten years. Graduates earn about $2,975 more than the model expects for similar students. Higher modeled earnings sit alongside above-peer prices and debt.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$5,507
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$2,532
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$2,975

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / Virginia Commonwealth University briefing

Virginia Commonwealth University acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

Virginia Commonwealth University admitted 92.6% of the reported applicant pool, indicating that admission was available to most applicants in that cycle. This was above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size), so the school’s reported admission outcome sits above its peer midpoint.

SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
92.6%
25th percentile
1010
Median
1140
75th percentile
1260

CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / Virginia Commonwealth University briefing

What are the largest majors at Virginia Commonwealth University?[12]

The largest programs at Virginia Commonwealth University span a wide earnings range four years after completion. Psychology awards 540 degrees a year and posts median earnings of $51,440; Azimuth ranks it #124 nationally in its field.

Biology follows with 391 degrees awarded and $58,420, ranking #135 nationally. Subject-Area Teacher Education combines scale with stronger outcomes: 340 degrees awarded and median earnings of $59,442.

Azimuth ranks it #19 nationally and #1 in Virginia. Design and Applied Arts sits at the more moderate end, with 323 degrees awarded and $53,575, ranking #41 nationally.

The highest earnings come from much smaller programs. Computer and Information Sciences graduates earn a median of $118,521 from 118 degrees awarded a year.

A student choosing among the most popular majors is looking at a different earnings picture than one who enters a smaller, higher-paying field.

Virginia Commonwealth University awards bachelor's degrees across 46 fields with published earnings, and 41 of those carry an Azimuth national rank. Psychology leads in volume at 540 degrees awarded, and Azimuth ranks the program #124 within its field; graduates earn $51,440 four years after completion.

Biology follows at 391 degrees awarded, and Azimuth ranks it #135 within its field, with median earnings of $58,420. Azimuth ranks Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services #3 in its field, with 96 degrees awarded and earnings of $72,239.

Azimuth ranks Biological and Physical Sciences #8 within its field, with 83 degrees awarded and median earnings of $61,395. Azimuth ranks Security Science and Technology #11 in its field, with 72 degrees awarded and earnings of $61,026.

The degree mix at Virginia Commonwealth University is spread across several fields, with no single family dominating. Visual & Performing Arts accounts for 11.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, closely followed by Business at 10.5% and Psychology at 10.4%.

The largest single program is Psychology, at 540 degrees awarded, with Biology next at 391 and Subject-Area Teacher Education at 340. Across the university, 41 programs carry an Azimuth national rank, and 46 have published four-year earnings data.

The strongest programs are concentrated in a few fields. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services is the highest-ranked, at #1 in Virginia within its field, with 96 degrees awarded and median earnings of $72,239 four years after completion.

Biological and Physical Sciences ranks #8 nationally and #1 in Virginia, with 83 degrees awarded and earnings of $61,395. Computer and Information Sciences carries a benchmark ratio of 1.28x against the national median for its field, with earnings of $118,521.

The highest-earning program is Computer and Information Sciences, at $118,521, though it awards only 118 degrees a year. The pattern is one of breadth with a few pockets of real strength.

The largest programs sit near the national median for their fields, while the programs with the highest ranks and earnings tend to award fewer degrees than the largest departments. The engineering and computer science programs post the highest earnings, while the top-ranked programs in protective services show that strong returns are not confined to technical fields. 22.8% of degrees awarded are in STEM.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Psychology, General 540 degrees awarded
$51,440
Biology, General 391 degrees awarded
$58,420
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas 340 degrees awarded
$59,442
Design and Applied Arts 323 degrees awarded
$53,575
Criminal Justice and Corrections 255 degrees awarded
$58,792
Business/Commerce, General 239 degrees awarded
$68,387

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / Virginia Commonwealth University briefing

How does Virginia Commonwealth University serve students from different backgrounds?

Virginia Commonwealth University’s mobility picture is anchored by completion and earnings beyond expectations. Azimuth places Virginia Commonwealth University in the 94th percentile for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Within the first-time full-time cohort, the 65.5% Pell completion rate exceeds the 63.2% six-year graduation rate by 2.3 percentage points. Graduates earn about $2,975 more than the model expects for similar students.

, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sit in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Broad admission and a sizable transfer presence make access a central part of the picture at Virginia Commonwealth University. The university admits 92.6% of applicants, and its undergraduate enrollment is 20,753 undergraduates.

Pell Grant recipients account for 31.2% of undergraduates, and an estimated 25.9% are transfer-in. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 76th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, putting its access profile well above the midpoint.

06 / Virginia Commonwealth University briefing

What colleges are similar to Virginia Commonwealth University?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with Virginia Commonwealth University.

Admissions peerRandolph College93.7% admitted
Comparison with Virginia Commonwealth University
MeasureVirginia Commonwealth UniversityRandolph College
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,703$50,675-$14,028 vs Virginia Commonwealth University
Average annual net price$23,433$15,921-$7,512 vs Virginia Commonwealth University · lower cost
Admission rate92.6%93.7%
Nearby alternativeOld Dominion UniversityNearby option · VA
Comparison with Virginia Commonwealth University
MeasureVirginia Commonwealth UniversityOld Dominion University
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,703$64,472-$231 vs Virginia Commonwealth University
Average annual net price$23,433$14,638-$8,795 vs Virginia Commonwealth University · lower cost
Admission rate92.6%90.4%
Explore Old Dominion University →
Higher-earnings alternativeMassachusetts Maritime Academy$103,680 earnings
Comparison with Virginia Commonwealth University
MeasureVirginia Commonwealth UniversityMassachusetts Maritime Academy
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,703$103,680+$38,977 vs Virginia Commonwealth University
Average annual net price$23,433$21,582-$1,851 vs Virginia Commonwealth University · lower cost
Admission rate92.6%94.7%
Explore Massachusetts Maritime Academy →
Lower-cost alternativeTrinity Washington University$9,302 average net price
Comparison with Virginia Commonwealth University
MeasureVirginia Commonwealth UniversityTrinity Washington University
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,703$64,019-$684 vs Virginia Commonwealth University
Average annual net price$23,433$9,302-$14,131 vs Virginia Commonwealth University · lower cost
Admission rate92.6%99.5%
Similar profileUniversity of MississippiMatched across several measures
Comparison with Virginia Commonwealth University
MeasureVirginia Commonwealth UniversityUniversity of Mississippi
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,703$66,243+$1,540 vs Virginia Commonwealth University
Average annual net price$23,433$13,314-$10,119 vs Virginia Commonwealth University · lower cost
Admission rate92.6%96.6%
Explore University of Mississippi →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings