VCU Salaries

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Salaries by Major

Salaries by Major at Virginia Commonwealth University

This page shows median first-year earnings for VCU graduates by major, based on federal College Scorecard data. Six years after enrolling, former students who are working and no longer in school report average earnings of $36,100 per year; after ten years, average earnings are $47,500. See post-graduation earnings for full trends over time.

Below, majors are ranked by median first-year earnings.

The highest-paying undergraduate degree is Computer and Information Sciences, with median first-year earnings of $64,600 , followed by Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering at $64,400 , and Dental Support Services and Allied Professions at $63,800 .

Among graduate and professional degree programs, the highest-paying program is Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's Degree), with median first-year earnings 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) at $117,300 .

First-year earnings data come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and reflect IRS-reported income for Virginia Commonwealth University graduates who received federal grants or loans. Some programs are omitted for privacy.

Median first-year earnings for Virginia Commonwealth University graduates ranked by degree type and major
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

Other Colleges to Consider

Students considering Virginia Commonwealth University often consider these colleges

Data source: NCES / IPEDS https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=234030.

First-year earnings by major: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Last updated: August 2026