1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Virginia State University](/school/virginia-state-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Virginia State University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/virginia-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/virginia-state-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/virginia-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/virginia-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/virginia-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Virginia State University graduates earn? The reported median is $51,739 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$5,562 per year. Federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn $51,739 four years after completing a degree. That figure stands at the 22nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The university is $5,562 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Return stands at the 22nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $94 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. That result falls at the 55th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $119. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain adds $213. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $1,262. Program choice shapes a wide range of outcomes at Virginia State University. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix run from $39,511 on the downside to $73,380 on the upside. At the higher end, Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians graduates earn a median of $80,902 four years after completion, from 16 degrees awarded. Management Information Systems and Services follows at $72,734, and Accounting at $72,375. These program figures sit well above the university-wide median. An estimated 27.9% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $51,739 **Rank for difference from expectations** 55th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Virginia State University reported median** $51,739 **Peer schools comparable schools · $5,562 above Virginia State University** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $94 below Virginia State University** $51,645 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 $39,511 to $73,380, around the reported median of $51,739. Compare the lower scenario with [Virginia State University borrowing and monthly payments](/school/virginia-state-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** $39,511 **Median · reported** $51,739 **Higher estimate** $73,380 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 State 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 State University graduates’ reported earnings are $94 above that expectation, the 55th 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 State 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.** \-$119 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** +$213 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$94 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Virginia State University report the highest earnings? The highest-earning programs at Virginia State University are in technical and business fields, while the largest programs by degrees awarded sit in the social sciences and education. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians leads with median earnings of $80,902 four years after completion, from 16 degrees awarded. Marketing, a larger program at 23 degrees awarded, reports $53,709. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #211 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The largest program, Criminal Justice, awards 72 degrees a year and posts median earnings of $48,624. Azimuth ranks it #184 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Psychology, the second largest at 67 degrees awarded, reports $37,861 and a national rank of #342. Business accounts for 18.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Security & Protective Services at 12.0% and Psychology at 11.2%. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 10 programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The largest program is Criminal Justice, with 72 degrees awarded and median earnings of $48,624 four years after completion. Azimuth ranks it #184 nationally and #5 in Virginia. The highest-earning program is Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians, with median earnings of $80,902 from 16 degrees awarded. Management Information Systems and Services follows at $72,734, and Accounting at $72,375. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians** $80,902 **Management Information Systems and Services** $72,734 **Accounting and Related Services** $72,375 **Hospitality Administration/Management** $56,476 **Marketing** $53,709 **Biology, General** $53,398 **Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities** $50,015 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $49,764 [Explore Virginia State University program cohorts and field ranks](/school/virginia-state-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show the variation by field. The downside earnings scenario is $39,511, the typical scenario is $51,739, and the upside scenario reaches $73,380. At the high end, Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians graduates earn $80,902 four years after completion. Among the largest programs, Psychology sits at the lower end with $37,861. Among 910 federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, the median four years after finishing a degree at Virginia State University is $51,739. That earnings level sits at the 22nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median reflects all completers in the cohort, not one field of study. Completers earn about $94 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. That result sits at the 55th percentile. The downside earnings scenario is $39,511, the typical scenario is $51,739, and the upside scenario is $73,380. Based on the program mix, an estimated 27.9% of graduates continue to graduate study. ## 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/).