Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia · Also known as VCU · Website
$58,128
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$58,128
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public 4-year college in Richmond, Virginia with 20,753 undergraduates and 7,254 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $23,433 a year (tuition and fees $16,945 in-state, $40,109 out-of-state). It admits 93% of applicants and 63% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $58,128 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$23,433
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$16,945
Out-of-state $40,109
Admission rate
93%
US median 78%
Completion rate
63%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,500
About $228 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$58,128
Rank 903 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $23,433
- Tuition in-state
- $16,945
- Tuition out-of-state
- $40,109
- Cost of attendance
- $38,954
- Students with a need-based grant
- 31%
- Students with federal loans
- 39%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $17,512
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $17,777
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $20,925
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $24,691
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $32,739
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $12,772 in 2015-16 to $16,945 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 93%
- Average SAT
- 1,137
- SAT reading, middle
- 605
- SAT math, middle
- 580
- ACT, middle
- 25
- Undergraduates
- 20,753
- Graduate students
- 7,254
- Part-time students
- 10%
- Women
- 63%
- Students per teacher
- 17
- Completion rate
- 63%
- Retention rate
- 85%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 220
- Endowment
- $2.9B
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 903 of 5,094 US colleges and 28 of 127 in Virginia (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | VA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $23,433 | $19,081 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $16,945 | $16,364 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 93% | 80% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 63% | 52% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 85% | 73% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,500 | $20,000 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $47,161 | $36,582 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $58,128 | $42,837 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 57% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 73% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
220 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 490 | $21,167 | $29,462 | $51,440 | $50,706 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 342 | $25,000 | $34,677 | $59,442 | $51,389 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 339 | $20,500 | $31,149 | $58,420 | $57,214 |
| Social WorkOnlineMaster's | Master's | 331 | $41,000 | $51,707 | $65,063 | $65,123 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 322 | $24,250 | $25,872 | $53,575 | $51,490 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 236 | $21,250 | $38,495 | $58,792 | $55,378 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 218 | $21,298 | $51,669 | $68,387 | $68,407 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 210 | $21,591 | $71,847 | $86,661 | $88,910 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 191 | $21,500 | $35,808 | $59,968 | $56,359 |
| MedicineProfessional | Professional | 189 | $202,416 | $65,351 | $101,335 | $112,460 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 186 | $22,500 | $49,111 | $55,855 | $55,693 |
| Information Science/StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 167 | $21,500 | $62,116 | $87,219 | $85,294 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 159 | $20,000 | $34,080 | $62,182 | $63,293 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 135 | $20,500 | $41,767 | $68,622 | $69,303 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 126 | $41,000 | $100,173 | $116,932 | $103,485 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 122 | $19,933 | $84,338 | $118,521 | $92,374 |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 122 | $54,332 | $70,104 | $108,337 | $125,988 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsDoctoral | Doctoral | 104 | $71,750 | $73,227 | $79,288 | $82,893 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 101 | $19,949 | $27,005 | $45,844 | $48,590 |
| DentistryProfessional | Professional | 100 | $273,400 | $105,967 | $197,507 | $170,812 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 98 | $22,000 | $34,088 | $55,288 | $51,790 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 96 | $22,220 | $73,355 | $88,410 | $92,135 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineMaster's | Master's | 96 | $37,750 | $111,341 | $134,661 | $120,193 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 95 | $20,500 | $38,571 | $67,439 | $65,120 |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 91 | $20,000 | $45,696 | $72,239 | $67,934 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: Virginia on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Virginia
- Homes: Homes for sale in Virginia
Questions and answers
How much does Virginia Commonwealth University cost?
$23,433 a year is the average net price at Virginia Commonwealth University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $16,945 for in-state students and $40,109 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $38,954. Families earning under $30,000 pay $17,512 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Virginia Commonwealth University?
93% of applicants are admitted to Virginia Commonwealth University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,137 and the middle ACT score is 25. The median admission rate of colleges in Virginia is 80%.
How much do Virginia Commonwealth University graduates earn?
$58,128 a year is the median pay of former Virginia Commonwealth University students who work, 10 years after they started ($47,161 after 6 years). That ranks 903 of 5,094 US colleges and 28 of 127 in Virginia. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences (Master's) at $259,378.
How much student debt do Virginia Commonwealth University graduates have?
$21,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Virginia Commonwealth University graduates, about $228 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 39% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Virginia Commonwealth University?
63% of first-time, full-time students at Virginia Commonwealth University finish within 6 years. 85% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Virginia Commonwealth University?
Psychology, General (490 bachelor's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (342 bachelor's graduates), Biology, General (339 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 220 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.