Programs & majors brief

Virginia Commonwealth University Majors & Programs

Updated

Which majors earn the most at Virginia Commonwealth University?

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.

Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

  • Visual and performing arts592 · 11.4%
  • Business544 · 10.5%
  • Psychology540 · 10.4%
  • Biological sciences433 · 8.3%
  • Homeland security423 · 8.1%
  • Other2,665 · 51.3%

51 of 51 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs
Computer and Information Sciences, General 118 degrees awarded
$118,521
Computer Engineering 23 degrees awarded
$118,273
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering 37 degrees awarded
$107,487
Chemical Engineering 52 degrees awarded
$97,781
Mechanical Engineering 86 degrees awarded
$88,410
Information Science/Studies 169 degrees awarded
$87,219

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs
Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks
ProgramDegrees awarded4-yr earningsField rank
Computer and Information Sciences, General118$118,521#27
Computer Engineering23$118,273#52
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering37$107,487#58
Chemical Engineering52$97,781#80
Mechanical Engineering86$88,410#182
Information Science/Studies169$87,219#20
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing218$86,661#173
Biomedical/Medical Engineering54$86,295#83
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions45$80,344#17
Accounting and Related Services53$78,631#145
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions small degree count16$78,231—
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions41$77,786#32
Physics small degree count19$77,737—
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other96$72,239#3
Marketing122$68,622#109
Mathematics61$68,457#132
Business/Commerce, General239$68,387#23
Chemistry100$67,439#54
Philosophy33$64,402#20
Business/Managerial Economics33$64,164#42
Political Science and Government208$62,182#114
Biological and Physical Sciences83$61,395#8
Security Science and Technology72$61,026#11
Real Estate small degree count18$60,718—
Communication and Media Studies204$59,968#77
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas340$59,442#19
Criminal Justice and Corrections255$58,792#42
Biology, General391$58,420#135
Urban Studies/Affairs32$58,084#12
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other219$55,855#43
Social Work96$55,288#61
Design and Applied Arts323$53,575#41
History47$53,186#129
Sociology58$53,122#139
Psychology, General540$51,440#124
Natural Resources Conservation and Research57$50,217#113
Anthropology24$49,641#51
Area Studies42$45,852#33
English Language and Literature, General116$45,844#170
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services small degree count14$45,607—
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft51$43,957#29
Fine and Studio Arts56$43,690#97
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies24$42,233#68
Music39$38,278#129
Film/Video and Photographic Arts87$37,958#65
Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry20$37,253—
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods22Too few graduates to report—
Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology42Too few graduates to report—
Religion/Religious Studies small degree count7Too few graduates to report—
Dance small degree count16Too few graduates to report—
Finance and Financial Management Services79Too few graduates to report—

Program data and definitions · How to evaluate program rankings

What are the largest programs at Virginia Commonwealth University?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded
Psychology, General
540
Biology, General
391
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas
340
Design and Applied Arts
323
Criminal Justice and Corrections
255
Business/Commerce, General
239
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
219
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
218
Political Science and Government
208
Communication and Media Studies
204

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. Program data and definitions

How do Virginia Commonwealth University majors rank nationally?

National program rankings

  1. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other#3
  2. Biological and Physical Sciences#8
  3. Security Science and Technology#11
  4. Urban Studies/Affairs#12
  5. Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions#17
  6. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas#19
  7. Information Science/Studies#20
  8. Philosophy#20
  9. Business/Commerce, General#23
  10. Computer and Information Sciences, General#27
  11. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft#29
  12. Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions#32
  13. Area Studies#33
  14. Design and Applied Arts#41
  15. Criminal Justice and Corrections#42
  16. Business/Managerial Economics#42
  17. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other#43

Programs ranked in the national top 50, supplemented by the largest ranked programs when needed to show ten. Fewer appear when fewer ranks are reported. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

How Azimuth compares programs across colleges

Further analysis

Outcomes at Virginia Commonwealth University vary sharply by field, and Azimuth's program rankings evaluate four-year earnings among completers, median debt, and cohort size rather than reputation. The university has 46 programs with published earnings data, 41 of which carry an Azimuth national rank.

The degree mix is broad, with no single family dominating. Visual & Performing Arts accounts for 11.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Business at 10.5% and Psychology at 10.4%.

The largest program, Psychology, awards 540 degrees a year and Azimuth ranks it #124 nationally. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services holds the strongest national rank at #3, with completers earning $72,239 four years after graduation.

The highest-paid graduates come from Computer and Information Sciences, where the median reaches $118,521 from 118 degrees awarded a year.

Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: methodology.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, 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.