Best Colleges in Virginia by Salary Potential
Not all bachelor degree grads earn similar salaries. Before enrolling, learn which Virginia university is the best college by alumni salary potential.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: Washington and Lee University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$69,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$145,300 | % High Meaning:41% | % STEM Degrees:19% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: - Main Campus_50px.jpg) University of Virginia-Main Campus | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$69,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$131,700 | % High Meaning:44% | % STEM Degrees:23% |
| Rank:3 | School Name:_50px.png) Virginia Military Institute | School Type:Liberal Arts School, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$69,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$129,000 | % High Meaning:67% | % STEM Degrees:48% |
| Rank:4 | School Name:_50px.png) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$67,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$121,800 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:42% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: Hampden-Sydney College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$63,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$121,800 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:21% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: William & Mary | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$63,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$120,800 | % High Meaning:42% | % STEM Degrees:19% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: University of Richmond | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$64,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$117,000 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:17% |
| Rank:8 | School Name: George Mason University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$63,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$115,100 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:9 | School Name:_50px.png) James Madison University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$61,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$111,300 | % High Meaning:42% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: University of Mary Washington | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$57,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$104,400 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Marymount University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$56,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$100,900 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:12 | School Name: Hampton University | School Type:Private School, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$55,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$99,300 | % High Meaning:60% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
| Rank:13 | School Name: University of Lynchburg | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$50,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$94,500 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: Old Dominion University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$54,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$93,800 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:21% |
| Rank:15 | School Name:_50px.png) Virginia Commonwealth University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$53,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$93,000 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:19% |
| Rank:16 | School Name:Randolph College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$51,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$91,800 | % High Meaning:44% | % STEM Degrees:24% |
| Rank:17 | School Name:Ferrum College | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$44,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$91,300 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:18 | School Name: Christopher Newport University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$56,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$91,000 | % High Meaning:56% | % STEM Degrees:28% |
| Rank:19 | School Name: Longwood University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$50,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$90,300 | % High Meaning:56% | % STEM Degrees:9% |
| Rank:20 | School Name: Bridgewater College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$46,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$89,000 | % High Meaning:52% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:21 | School Name:Randolph-Macon College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$50,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$88,200 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:28% |
| Rank:22 | School Name: Radford University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$52,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$87,900 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:9% |
| Rank:23 | School Name:Roanoke College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$52,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$87,200 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:17% |
| Rank:24 | School Name:Sweet Briar College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$47,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$86,300 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:32% |
| Rank:25 | School Name:_50px.png) Virginia State University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$49,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$85,200 | % High Meaning:59% | % STEM Degrees:16% |
Famous colleges in Virginia include the College of William and Mary, Virginia Tech, and Virginia Commonwealth University, and the state is home to more than 60 colleges and universities. Payscale’s College Salary Report has salary information for students graduating with bachelor’s degrees from several of those colleges to help you find the Virginia colleges with highest-paid graduates.
Robert F. Kennedy, Tina Fey, Katie Couric and Edgar Allen Poe may not seem to have much in common, but they’re all graduates from University of Virginia in Charlottesville. As diverse as alumni from this university are, they love their school; nine out of ten alumni recommend their school, making it the most popular school on the list.
Liberty University is by far the largest school with over 47,000 undergraduates. This is especially true compared to Averett University, where fewer than 1,000 undergrads attend.
The College of William and Mary is not only one of Virginia’s most well-known schools, it is also the second oldest college in the country. Rivals of Old Dominion University, The College of William and Mary was founded in 1693 and is the alma mater of Jon Stewart, Mike Leach, and Steve Christie.
While a fourth of Virginians work for the government, many others work in aerospace, IT and energy fields.