Graduates earn among the highest incomes nationally, with outcomes that significantly exceed peer expectations.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
VMI graduates show steady earnings progression from early to mid-career stages, with median earnings rising from $63,545 six years after enrollment to $78,129 at eight years before stabilizing at $77,369 at ten years. This represents 21.8% growth from the six-year to ten-year measurement points, indicating strong early-career advancement patterns.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduates from this institution significantly outperform peers — earnings are 66% higher than similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $22,996 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
VMI graduates carry median debt levels of $22,996, comparable to the peer median of $21,500, indicating typical borrowing patterns for public institution graduates. Debt ranges from $8,000 at the 25th percentile to $27,000 at the 75th percentile, showing concentrated borrowing patterns with most students avoiding excessive debt loads.
Virginia Military Institute demonstrates exceptional return on educational investment, ranking at the 93.4th percentile nationally with top-tier performance. Graduates earn $15,606 beyond expectations compared to similar students, placing VMI at the 91.6th percentile for earnings uplift.
Approximately 21.1% of VMI graduates continue to graduate or professional study, though this estimate carries low confidence due to methodological lim...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Engineering programs drive VMI's strongest earnings outcomes, with Mechanical Engineering graduates earning $73,138 and Civil Engineering graduates earning $71,338. Applied Economics produces strong returns at $70,038 with excellent cohort size of 50 graduates, providing statistical confidence in outcomes.
Liberal arts programs demonstrate exceptional value, with American History graduates earning $64,539 and Psychology graduates earning $60,540, both substantially above national averages for their fields. International Relations produces $64,800 earnings while ranking #15 nationally, reflecting VMI's distinctive approach to political science education.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings distribution at VMI spans from $52,604 at the 25th percentile to $90,374 at the 75th percentile, representing a 1.7:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles. This relatively concentrated distribution indicates consistent outcomes across different career paths and geographic locations.
