Strayer University-Virginia
Arlington, Virginia · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 11/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Strayer University-Virginia earns a Below Benchmark ROI score of 11. The subscores: earnings premium is 6.5% (subscore 13), payback period is 42.9 years, debt-to-earnings hits 1.058 (subscore 4), completion rate is 36.4%, and the repayment rate is 42.4% (subscore 4) - meaning fewer than half of borrowers are reducing their loan principal three years after entering repayment. Earnings are $38,400 six years out and only $40,092 by year 10 - functionally flat, suggesting the credential provides no meaningful career-earnings ramp. Median debt is $40,621. Net price is $19,578 against $13,920 nominal tuition; the published 4-year cost is $78,312. Income-bracket aid data is missing for all but the lowest tier. As a for-profit serving primarily working adults via online and hybrid delivery, Strayer's structural value proposition is convenience, not financial return.
How Strayer University-Virginia scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score11/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.06 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate36.4% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period42.9 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Strayer University-Virginia
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,920/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,920/yr |
| Average net price | $19,578/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $78,312 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $40,092 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $38,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $40,621 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $431 |
| Estimated payback period | 42.9 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 36.4% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,668 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $13,920/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $19,578/year, or roughly $78,312 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $19,578/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $40,621, which works out to about $431 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($38,400) and comes to 1.06, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $19,578 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | N/A |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $19,578 net annually - the only income-bracket figure reported. The remaining brackets show null values, so targeted analysis cannot be done, though the gap is a data flag in itself. Across four years, low-income students face roughly $78,000 in costs against earnings that never meaningfully increase past entry.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Income-bracket pricing data is not reported for any bracket above $30,000, which is a data anomaly worth flagging. The school's flat-rate tuition ($13,920) does not appear to scale by income through traditional need-based aid mechanisms.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
High-income net-price data is not reported. Given the for-profit structure and minimal aid posture, families above $110,000 likely pay near sticker. Median 10-year earnings are $40,092 and median debt is $40,621. Working professionals with employer tuition reimbursement represent the only segment for whom this school's structural cost makes sense.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Strayer University-Virginia with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | $64,016 | F |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $82,304 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $53,916 | F |
| Accounting | $66,108 | F |
| Information Science | $87,413 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $105,703 | B |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration and Management
Business Administration is the largest program with 295 graduates - the dominant pathway - and earns an F grade. First-year earnings of $55,431 grow only modestly to $64,016 by year four against an extraordinary $56,517 in median debt, producing a 1.02 debt-to-earnings ratio. Borrowers leave with debt larger than their first-year salary. Even with mid-career professional borrowers (the bulk of Strayer's enrollment), the debt scale here is severe. Employer-tuition-funded students fare differently from out-of-pocket borrowers.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer Science earns a D grade with 116 graduates. First-year earnings of $67,315 are reasonable, but median debt of $50,737 produces a 0.754 ratio. By year four earnings reach $82,304 - a respectable ramp, the strongest non-nursing track on campus. For working IT professionals using employer tuition assistance, this program may pencil.
Accounting
Accounting graduates 28 students with an F grade. First-year earnings of $52,373 climb to $66,108 by year four, but median debt of $54,989 produces a 1.05 ratio - borrowers leave with debt slightly larger than first-year salary. Public accounting firms generally don't recruit from for-profit programs at the same rate as from regional publics, which constrains the career-path optionality this credential provides.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 54 students with an F grade. First-year earnings of $43,405 against $56,937 in debt produce a 1.312 ratio. By year four earnings only reach $53,916. The career path concentrates in public-sector work where pay scales are constrained; the borrowing scale is severely mismatched to expected earnings.
Information Science
Information Science earns a D grade with 10 graduates. First-year earnings of $71,167 are the strongest at the school, growing to $87,413 by year four - but $53,250 in median debt produces a 0.748 ratio. With small graduate counts and high borrowing, this is a niche program that only makes sense for students with strong tech-sector employer connections; cohorts of this size typically reflect mid-career professionals leveraging existing experience.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 33.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 42.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 30.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 37.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Strayer University-Virginia’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2010-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 1,668 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 59.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,381 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data, and Strayer does not publish standardized test medians. The school operates as a non-selective for-profit; admission decisions rest on transcript review and program fit. SAT and ACT distributions are not available. Open-access policies correlate predictably with the 36.4% completion rate.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strayer University-Virginia (this school) | 11 | $19,578 | $40,092 |
| Strayer University-Tennessee | 11 | $11,645 | $40,092 |
| South University-Richmond | 11 | $30,442 | $34,421 |
| Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs | 9 | $16,745 | $37,180 |
| Strayer University-Georgia | 9 | $18,318 | $40,092 |
| Strayer University-South Carolina | 9 | $17,979 | $40,092 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Strayer University-Virginia side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
Enrollment is 1,668 students, with an exceptionally high Pell rate of 59.4% - nearly six in ten students are from low-income households. The student body is overwhelmingly working adults rather than traditional 18-22-year-olds. Strayer fits a narrow case: working professionals with employer tuition reimbursement programs that fully cover costs, and who specifically need credit-bearing online classes for career credentialing. For students borrowing federal aid out of pocket, this is a weak-value option.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Strayer University-Virginia scores 11/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $19,578 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $40,092 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 42.9 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 36.4% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 42.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $40,621 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $38,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Strayer University-Virginia: Common Questions
Is Strayer University-Virginia worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Strayer University-Virginia scores 11/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $19,578 a year after aid against $40,092 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 42.9 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Strayer University-Virginia cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $19,578 a year, or roughly $78,312 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Strayer University-Virginia graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $40,092 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Strayer University-Virginia?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 42.9 years for Strayer University-Virginia. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Strayer University-Virginia graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $40,621, against average earnings of $38,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Strayer University-Virginia?
The six-year graduation rate is 36.4%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.