Virginia Union University

Virginia Union University's program mix is anchored in social sciences and business fields, reflecting the institution's liberal arts and professional education identity. Criminology is the largest program with 23 graduates, followed by Teacher Education, Biology, General, Social Work, and Psychology, General.

Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 129 students annually, several deliver solid four-year earnings outcomes aligned with regional labor-market demand. The strongest earnings outcomes cluster in business and professional fields.

General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations leads with median earnings of $64,924 four years after enrollment across 6 graduates, followed by Psychology, General with $50,826 and Criminology with $49,024. Communication and Media Studies and Biology, General round out the highest-earning programs, each delivering competitive four-year outcomes.

The concentration of strength in Social Sciences (representing 16% of graduates) and Business (representing 16% of graduates) reflects Virginia Union University's positioning as a professional and applied-education institution. Virginia Union University's program portfolio emphasizes fields with direct workforce entry and stable regional demand.

The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how these dominant program families align with labor-market conditions in the Richmond area and beyond. For prospective students, the earnings variation across programs underscores the importance of major selection in shaping four-year financial outcomes.

Virginia Union University's published cost of attendance is $29,075. Financial aid reshapes that figure across income levels: low-income families pay approximately $11,424, families in the low-to-mid income range pay around $12,372, middle-income families pay about $14,420, families in the mid-to-high income range pay approximately $21,362, and higher-income families pay around $18,301.

Azimuth ranks Virginia Union University #641 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Virginia Union participates in federal need-based aid programs including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, supplemented by institutional aid. The difference between published cost of attendance and net price reflects the institution's financial aid commitment, though the spread across income bands shows how aid availability varies by family circumstances.

Families should review Virginia Union's financial aid page for current aid policies and application requirements. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $29,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $31,153; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $50,840, median federal debt of $29,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $328 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of Virginia Union University earn median 4-year earnings of $50,840, placing Virginia Union University in the 11.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,265 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Virginia Union University in the 74.1 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Virginia Union University #1171 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions — in the 20.8 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These outcomes represent lifetime returns relative to VA's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $34,020 (the state median earnings of working adults age 25–34 with only a high school credential).

The earnings pattern reflects Virginia Union University's concentration in social sciences and humanities fields. Criminology is the largest program with 23 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $49,024, at 0.9× the national benchmark for the field.

Teacher Education and Biology, General follow as substantial cohorts, with Biology, General graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $40,032 at 0.7× the national benchmark. Social Work graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $38,872 at 0.8× the benchmark, while Psychology, General rounds out the top programs with 12 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $50,826 at 1.0× the benchmark.

The institution's program mix anchors on Social Sciences, which shapes both the earnings profile and the career pathways available to graduates.