Federal data
Highest earning liberal arts programs in Virginia
Virginia liberal arts programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Madison University | Harrisonburg | Public, 4-year | $49,408 | 73 |
| 2 | Longwood University | Farmville | Public, 4-year | $46,714 | 118 |
| 3 | Liberty University | Lynchburg | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $42,669 | 138 |
| 4 | George Mason University | Fairfax | Public, 4-year | $41,398 | 288 |
| 5 | University of Mary Washington | Fredericksburg | Public, 4-year | $37,677 | 97 |
| 6 | Hampton University | Hampton | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $37,179 | 98 |
| 7 | Virginia State University | Petersburg | Public, 4-year | $34,877 | 33 |
| 8 | Southern Virginia University | Buena Vista | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $22,024 | 73 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.
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