Virginia Wesleyan University
Virginia Beach, Virginia · Private Nonprofit · 72.9% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 31/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Virginia Wesleyan University earns an ROI score of 31 out of 100 and lands in the Below Benchmark tier, which reflects a combination of weak completion, modest early earnings, and high debt relative to what graduates make. Sticker tuition is $37,500, but the average net price is $19,676 a year, so a typical four-year run still runs close to $78,704 before living costs. Average earnings six years after entry sit at just $31,400 and only climb to a median $50,074 by year ten, while median federal debt is $27,000. The resulting debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86 is the biggest drag on the score and pushes the modeled payback period out to 14.5 years. The six-year completion rate of 41.6% means a meaningful share of students leave without a credential, which compounds the debt risk for those who borrow but never graduate. Repayment progress is uneven, with about 69% of borrowers making progress at the three-year mark. For families that can secure strong institutional aid, the net price can be workable, and at the $37,500 full sticker it is higher than the $19,676 average.
How Virginia Wesleyan University 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 Score31/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Virginia Wesleyan University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $37,500/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $37,500/yr |
| Average net price | $19,676/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $78,704 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $50,074 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $31,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 14.5 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 41.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,256 |
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: $37,500/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $19,676/year, or roughly $78,704 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 $14,080/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,782/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($31,400) and comes to 0.86, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than 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 | $14,080 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $17,108 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,967 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,603 |
| $110,001+ | $24,782 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face a net price of $14,080 per year, the lowest bracket. That is meaningful aid off the $37,500 sticker, but four years still totals over $56,000 before living costs, and average early earnings of $31,400 make that hard to service.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets show a small inversion that is worth flagging: the $30,001-$48,000 net price is $17,108, while the $48,001-$75,000 net price is slightly lower at $15,967. That pattern can occur with merit aid layering, but families should not assume the listed bracket is binding for their specific package.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $24,782 per year net, which is nearly $99,000 over four years. With ten-year median earnings of just $50,074 across all graduates, that price tag only makes sense for families who can absorb it from savings without borrowing, or for students with a clear professional pathway that meaningfully outperforms the school median.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Virginia Wesleyan University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $63,159 | C |
| Biology | $30,921 | D |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $52,247 | C |
| Psychology | $43,511 | D |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $53,272 | C |
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, Management, and Operations
Business is the largest program by completions with 42 graduates and one of the better outcomes profiles on campus.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice graduates 24 students per year with $39,404 in first-year earnings rising to $52,247 by year four. Median program debt is $27,000 and the debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.685, also earning a C ROI grade.
Psychology
Psychology produces 18 graduates per year with first-year earnings of $31,123 and a four-year figure of $43,511 against $27,000 in median debt. The 0.868 debt-to-earnings ratio drives a D ROI grade. As at most schools, bachelor-only psychology is a low-leverage credential financially; the program only really pays back for students who go on to a funded master's or doctoral program in counseling, social work, or applied psychology, and prospective majors should plan that next step before enrolling.
Biology
Biology graduates 31 students annually with first-year earnings of $30,921; four-year earnings are not reported in current data. Median debt of $26,625 against those early earnings produces a 0.861 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D grade. Like psychology, the bachelor's in biology functions mainly as a pre-professional credential. Students aiming for medical, dental, PA, or doctoral programs can make the math work; those stopping at the BS face thin early-career wage growth in the lab and tech ecosystem.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 64.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 69.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 64.2% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 70.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Virginia Wesleyan University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
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
| Acceptance rate | 72.9% |
| Enrollment | 1,256 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 27.1% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,756 |
Virginia Wesleyan admits 72.9% of applicants, which puts it in the broadly accessible category rather than a selective one. SAT and ACT mid-range scores are not reported in current Scorecard data, so applicants cannot benchmark against a standardized profile.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Wesleyan University (this school) | 31 | $19,676 | $50,074 |
| Averett University | 37 | $22,925 | $51,516 |
| University of Pikeville | 33 | $20,311 | $48,231 |
| Catawba College | 32 | $17,879 | $48,793 |
| Bluefield University | 32 | $25,573 | $48,896 |
| Arizona Christian University | 30 | $32,839 | $51,612 |
Who Thrives Here
With an enrollment of about 1,256 and a Pell Grant rate of 27.1%, Virginia Wesleyan reads as a small, residential, moderately need-aware school in coastal Virginia.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Virginia Wesleyan University scores 31/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $19,676 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $50,074 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 14.5 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 41.6% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 69.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $31,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Virginia Wesleyan University: Common Questions
Is Virginia Wesleyan University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Virginia Wesleyan University scores 31/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $19,676 a year after aid against $50,074 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 14.5 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Virginia Wesleyan University 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 $19,676 a year, or roughly $78,704 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 Virginia Wesleyan University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $50,074 ten years after enrolling, roughly $8,274 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Virginia Wesleyan University?
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 14.5 years for Virginia Wesleyan University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Virginia Wesleyan University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $31,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.86. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Virginia Wesleyan University?
The six-year graduation rate is 41.6%. 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.