How much money do Virginia Commonwealth University graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $36,100 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $47,500 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for VCU graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Computer and Information Sciences with a median starting salary of $64,600 followed by Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering paying $64,400 and Dental Support Services and Allied Professions graduates who have a median starting income of $63,800 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $208,600 followed by Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degree) at $179,700 and Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degree) who earn $117,300 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Virginia Commonwealth University graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degree) | $208,600 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degree) | $179,700 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degree) | $117,300 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) | $94,100 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $87,100 |
| Dentistry (First Professional Degree) | $85,300 |
| Information Science/Studies (Master's Degree) | $80,800 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degree) | $76,300 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) | $67,100 |
| Computer and Information Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $64,600 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $64,400 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $63,800 |
| Business/Commerce (Master's Degree) | $61,300 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $61,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $60,100 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degree) | $59,500 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $56,500 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Post-baccalaureate Certificate) | $56,200 |
| Medicine (First Professional Degree) | $54,900 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $53,600 |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other (Master's Degree) | $52,000 |
| Chemical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $50,600 |
| Information Science/Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $50,000 |
| Public Administration (Master's Degree) | $49,100 |
| Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degree) | $46,700 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs (Master's Degree) | $46,500 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) | $45,800 |
| Education (Master's Degree) | $45,600 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $45,000 |
| Real Estate (Bachelor’s Degree) | $44,300 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degree) | $43,700 |
| Social Work (Master's Degree) | $43,100 |
| Business/Commerce (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,600 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) | $40,400 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degree) | $40,000 |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies (Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma) | $39,400 |
| Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,300 |
| Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $39,300 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,900 |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other (Bachelor’s Degree) | $36,300 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,100 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,000 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,600 |
| Urban Studies/Affairs (Bachelor’s Degree) | $33,100 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,200 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,000 |
| Chemistry (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,900 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,500 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,200 |
| Social Work (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,100 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,900 |
| Biological and Physical Sciences (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,700 |
| Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,000 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,900 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $26,000 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,200 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,900 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,000 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,200 |
| Area Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,100 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degree) | $21,800 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $20,800 |
| Anthropology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $20,600 |
| Religion/Religious Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $20,200 |
| Music (Bachelor’s Degree) | $20,100 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) | $19,100 |
| Biology (Graduate/Professional Certificate) | $19,000 |
| Crafts/Craft Design, Folk Art and Artisanry (Bachelor’s Degree) | $18,300 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=234030 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Virginia Commonwealth University.