Virginia Military Institute Outcomes: $75K Earnings (2026)

How much do Virginia Military Institute graduates earn?

The reported median is $75,027 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $53,116 as its benchmark; the difference is $21,911 per year.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $75,027. That is $21,911 above the $53,116 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth places the return in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings figure sits in the 84th percentile nationally.

The earnings scenarios show a spread between the downside and the upside, estimated from the program mix at Virginia Military Institute. The typical earnings scenario sits at $75,027, with the downside at $66,235 and the upside at $81,225.

At the upper end, Computer Science graduates earn a median of $94,397 four years after completion, from 24 degrees awarded. Civil Engineering follows at $76,991 with 57 degrees awarded, and Mechanical Engineering graduates earn $76,909 four years after completion.

An estimated 38.6% 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 those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot.

How could earnings differ from the median?

Earnings four years after completion

Planning rangeReported median

Lower estimate: $66,235
Median · reported: $75,027
Higher estimate: $81,225

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 explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. Read about the move to four-year earnings.

Do Virginia Military Institute 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.

That comparison is not reported for Virginia Military Institute. 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 Military Institute caused a student to earn. Read how expected earnings are estimated.

Which fields at Virginia Military Institute report the highest earnings?

The best-paid program at Virginia Military Institute is not the largest. Computer Science graduates earn $94,397 four years after completion, from 24 degrees awarded a year.

Among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field, Azimuth ranks the program #148 nationally. Civil Engineering is the largest program, with 57 degrees awarded annually and median earnings of $76,991.

Among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field, Azimuth ranks it #143 nationally. Several smaller programs hold strong national ranks with moderate earnings.

Psychology ranks #10 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field, from 39 degrees awarded a year, and its graduates earn $75,059 four years after completion. History ranks #17 nationally, with 34 degrees awarded annually and earnings of $72,630 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks 8 of the university's programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The strongest of these is Psychology, which sits at #10 in its field and #1 in Virginia, with 39 degrees awarded and median earnings of $75,059 four years after completion.

The largest program is Civil Engineering, with 57 degrees awarded, median earnings of $76,991, and an Azimuth rank of #143 nationally. International Relations and National Security Studies follows at 45 degrees awarded, earning $72,700 and ranked #18 in its field.

The highest-earning program is a smaller one: Computer Science graduates earn $94,397 four years out, from 24 degrees awarded a year, and Azimuth ranks it #148 nationally. The best-paid programs are concentrated in engineering and computer science, while the strongest national ranks appear in the social sciences.

Further analysis

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from a downside of $66,235 to a typical outcome of $75,027 and an upside of $81,225. The spread reflects variation by field.

Computer Science sits at the high end with $94,397 four years after completion. Among the largest programs, History is at $72,630.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Virginia Military Institute who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $75,027. That figure is drawn from an earnings cohort of 404 completers and places the university at the 84th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $66,235 and an upside of $81,225, with the typical scenario matching the observed median. These figures reflect only completers who are working and not enrolled.

An estimated 38.6% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

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.