Graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University earn median earnings of $85,647 four years after enrollment, placing Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the 87.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $5,702 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 78.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University #135 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects a program mix anchored in applied and professional fields. Business is the dominant program family, representing 21% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 21% and Social Sciences at 9%. Azimuth ranks Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 444 graduates earning median earnings of $108,726 four years after enrollment. Artificial Intelligence ranks #12 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 366 graduates earning $144,103, and Mechanical Engineering ranks #70 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 319 graduates earning $96,376. Azimuth ranks Finance #33 and Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services #1 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University earn median earnings of $85,647 four years after enrollment, placing Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the 87.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $5,702 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 78.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University #135 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects a program mix anchored in applied and professional fields. Business is the dominant program family, representing 21% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 21% and Social Sciences at 9%. Azimuth ranks Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 444 graduates earning median earnings of $108,726 four years after enrollment. Artificial Intelligence ranks #12 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 366 graduates earning $144,103, and Mechanical Engineering ranks #70 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 319 graduates earning $96,376. Azimuth ranks Finance #33 and Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services #1 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University earn median earnings of $85,647 four years after enrollment, placing Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the 87.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $5,702 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 78.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University #135 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects a program mix anchored in applied and professional fields. Business is the dominant program family, representing 21% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 21% and Social Sciences at 9%. Azimuth ranks Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 444 graduates earning median earnings of $108,726 four years after enrollment. Artificial Intelligence ranks #12 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 366 graduates earning $144,103, and Mechanical Engineering ranks #70 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 319 graduates earning $96,376. Azimuth ranks Finance #33 and Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services #1 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's program mix is anchored in Business, with strong representation across engineering, computer science, and applied-science fields — a portfolio consistent with the university's land-grant research identity. Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods is the largest program with 444 graduates, followed by Artificial Intelligence (366 graduates), Mechanical Engineering (319 graduates), Finance (294 graduates), and Food and Nutrition (252 graduates). Across 68 programs serving roughly 7,289 students annually, 57 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. Business accounts for 21% of degree output, Engineering for 21%, and Social Sciences for 9% — a mix that tilts toward applied and technical disciplines with direct workforce entry points. The highest-earning programs reflect that applied emphasis. Azimuth ranks Artificial Intelligence #12 in the Azimuth coverage set for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 366 graduates earning $144,103. Azimuth ranks Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods #8 in the Azimuth coverage set for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 444 graduates earning $108,726. Finance adds further depth, with Azimuth ranking the program #33 in the Azimuth coverage set for median earnings four years after enrollment, with 294 graduates earning $102,902. Several of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's strongest programs are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the national labor market directly — particularly Artificial Intelligence, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, and Finance, where four-year earnings reflect actual workforce outcomes. Mechanical Engineering and Food and Nutrition may include a larger share of graduates who continue to advanced study. The concentration in engineering, computing, and business fields aligns with sectors showing sustained employer demand.
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University earn median earnings of $85,647 four years after enrollment, placing Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the 87.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs above the $65,228 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $5,702 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the university in the 78.0 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University #135 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects a program mix anchored in applied and professional fields. Business is the dominant program family, representing 21% of degree output, followed by Engineering at 21% and Social Sciences at 9%. Azimuth ranks Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 444 graduates earning median earnings of $108,726 four years after enrollment. Artificial Intelligence ranks #12 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 366 graduates earning $144,103, and Mechanical Engineering ranks #70 among nonprofit four-year institutions with 319 graduates earning $96,376. Azimuth ranks Finance #33 and Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services #1 among nonprofit four-year institutions.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
