Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Virginia
Key facts
- #1 Washington and Lee University, VA: $95k
- #2 Chamberlain University-Virginia, VA: $92k
- #3 University of Virginia-Main Campus, VA: $87k
- 67 colleges ranked across Virginia
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: $50k across the typical college in this list.
- 1Washington and Lee University VA$95k
- 2Chamberlain University-Virginia VA$92k
- 3University of Virginia-Main Campus VA$87k
- 4Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA$82k
- 5Virginia Military Institute VA$77k
- 6Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing VA$77k
- 7George Mason University VA$76k
- 8University of Richmond VA$76k
- 9William & Mary VA$73k
- 10James Madison University VA$70k
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Washington and Lee University leads on $95k, and #10 James Madison University is at $70k.
- Chamberlain University-Virginia reaches #2 on a sample of 557 students enrolled, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University is the largest market in the top ten, with 30,923 students enrolled behind its figure.
- Colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Median earnings ten years after enrolling show what former students of a college go on to earn, as the Department of Education publishes it.
How to use it
Compare colleges within the same level and field, and read earnings next to completion rate and net price. Earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as the college.
The top 25
- 1
Washington and Lee University VA
$95k
- Completion rate
- 94%
- Net price a year
- $23,781
- Private nonprofit
- 1,881 students
Based on 1,881 students enrolled.
Washington and Lee University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 2
Chamberlain University-Virginia VA
$92k
- Completion rate
- 100%
- Net price a year
- $33,199
- Private for-profit
- 557 students
Based on 557 students enrolled.
Chamberlain University-Virginia: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 3
- Completion rate
- 96%
- Net price a year
- $21,565
- Public
- 17,597 students
Based on 17,597 students enrolled.
University of Virginia-Main Campus: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 4
- Completion rate
- 86%
- Net price a year
- $24,953
- Public
- 30,923 students
Based on 30,923 students enrolled.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 5
Virginia Military Institute VA
$77k
- Completion rate
- 76%
- Net price a year
- $17,113
- Public
- 1,527 students
Based on 1,527 students enrolled.
Virginia Military Institute: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 6
- Completion rate
- Not available
- Net price a year
- Not available
- Private nonprofit
- 591 students
Based on 591 students enrolled.
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 7
George Mason University VA
$76k
- Completion rate
- 68%
- Net price a year
- $17,915
- Public
- 27,752 students
Based on 27,752 students enrolled.
- 8
University of Richmond VA
$76k
- Completion rate
- 85%
- Net price a year
- $31,309
- Private nonprofit
- 2,980 students
Based on 2,980 students enrolled.
- 9
William & Mary VA
$73k
- Completion rate
- 89%
- Net price a year
- $19,096
- Public
- 7,055 students
Based on 7,055 students enrolled.
- 10
James Madison University VA
$70k
- Completion rate
- 80%
- Net price a year
- $23,322
- Public
- 20,888 students
Based on 20,888 students enrolled.
James Madison University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 11
Hampden-Sydney College VA
$68k
- Completion rate
- 62%
- Net price a year
- $22,400
- Private nonprofit
- 946 students
Based on 946 students enrolled.
- 12
Marymount University VA
$68k
- Completion rate
- 54%
- Net price a year
- $29,137
- Private nonprofit
- 1,810 students
Based on 1,810 students enrolled.
- 13
University of Mary Washington VA
$61k
- Completion rate
- 66%
- Net price a year
- $20,667
- Public
- 3,566 students
Based on 3,566 students enrolled.
University of Mary Washington: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 14
Christopher Newport University VA
$61k
- Completion rate
- 72%
- Net price a year
- $23,015
- Public
- 4,365 students
Based on 4,365 students enrolled.
Christopher Newport University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 15
Hampton University VA
$59k
- Completion rate
- 57%
- Net price a year
- $25,319
- Private nonprofit
- 3,727 students
Based on 3,727 students enrolled.
- 16
Randolph-Macon College VA
$58k
- Completion rate
- 70%
- Net price a year
- $27,866
- Private nonprofit
- 1,639 students
Based on 1,639 students enrolled.
- 17
Shenandoah University VA
$58k
- Completion rate
- 67%
- Net price a year
- $30,298
- Private nonprofit
- 2,116 students
Based on 2,116 students enrolled.
- 18
Virginia Commonwealth University VA
$58k
- Completion rate
- 63%
- Net price a year
- $23,433
- Public
- 20,753 students
Based on 20,753 students enrolled.
Virginia Commonwealth University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 19
Roanoke College VA
$58k
- Completion rate
- 67%
- Net price a year
- $24,503
- Private nonprofit
- 1,767 students
Based on 1,767 students enrolled.
- 20
University of Lynchburg VA
$56k
- Completion rate
- 57%
- Net price a year
- $22,235
- Private nonprofit
- 1,577 students
Based on 1,577 students enrolled.
- 21
Old Dominion University VA
$55k
- Completion rate
- 46%
- Net price a year
- $14,638
- Public
- 17,514 students
Based on 17,514 students enrolled.
- 22
Eastern Mennonite University VA
$55k
- Completion rate
- 67%
- Net price a year
- $24,588
- Private nonprofit
- 754 students
Based on 754 students enrolled.
Eastern Mennonite University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 23
Radford University VA
$54k
- Completion rate
- 49%
- Net price a year
- $14,578
- Public
- 6,038 students
Based on 6,038 students enrolled.
- 24
- Completion rate
- 33%
- Net price a year
- $9,919
- Public
- 33,048 students
Based on 33,048 students enrolled.
Northern Virginia Community College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 25
Bridgewater College VA
$53k
- Completion rate
- 53%
- Net price a year
- $17,800
- Private nonprofit
- 1,400 students
Based on 1,400 students enrolled.
Full ranking
All 67 colleges that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
How this ranking works
Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones.
Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
Sample bar: colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (median earnings, completion, net price), as held in our college tables. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which certification ranks first: colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in virginia?
- Washington and Lee University leads Virginia among colleges for earnings: its former students earn a median of $95k ten years after enrolling, against $50k for the typical college in this list.
- How many colleges are ranked?
- 67 colleges have at least 500 students enrolled, so the list has 67 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones. Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Best cities for junior jobs in Virginia
- Best cities for pay after cost of living in Virginia
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Four-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Community and two-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Northeast
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in New England
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Mid-Atlantic
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Virginia,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-virginia
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-virginia">Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Virginia (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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