1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Virginia Commonwealth University](/school/virginia-commonwealth-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Virginia Commonwealth University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/virginia-commonwealth-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/virginia-commonwealth-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/virginia-commonwealth-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/virginia-commonwealth-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/virginia-commonwealth-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Virginia Commonwealth University graduates earn? The reported median is $64,703 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $65,610 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$907 per year. 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](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), 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. 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. At the upper end, Computer and Information Sciences completers have median earnings of $118,521 four years after completion; Computer Engineering reaches $118,273, and Electrical Engineering reaches $107,487. Those field-level results help explain why the modeled range is wide. An estimated 32.1% 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 this estimate matters when reading the earnings figure: some graduates continuing their education are outside that snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $64,703 **Rank for difference from expectations** 66th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Virginia Commonwealth University reported median** $64,703 **Peer schools comparable schools · $907 above Virginia Commonwealth University** $65,610 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $2,975 below Virginia Commonwealth University** $61,728 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 $48,501 to $85,395, around the reported median of $64,703. Compare the lower scenario with [Virginia Commonwealth University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/virginia-commonwealth-university/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** $48,501 **Median · reported** $64,703 **Higher estimate** $85,395 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 Virginia Commonwealth University 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). Virginia Commonwealth University graduates’ reported earnings are $2,975 above that expectation, the 66th 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 Virginia Commonwealth University 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.** +$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. ## Which fields at Virginia Commonwealth University report the highest earnings? 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 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](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 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. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $118,521 **Computer Engineering** $118,273 **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering** $107,487 **Chemical Engineering** $97,781 **Mechanical Engineering** $88,410 **Information Science/Studies** $87,219 **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing** $86,661 **Biomedical/Medical Engineering** $86,295 [Explore Virginia Commonwealth University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/virginia-commonwealth-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix range from $48,501 in the downside scenario to $64,703 in the typical scenario and $85,395 in the upside scenario. Computer and Information Sciences reaches $118,521 four years after completion, while Psychology is at $51,440. The spread shows substantial variation by field. 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. ## 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/).