How much debt do Virginia Union University biology graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $33,700, which ranks 25th lowest of 25 biology bachelor's programs in Virginia. That works out to about $357 a month over 10 years.

Is a biology degree from Virginia Union University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 102% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 75%. Compare the cost with other Virginia programs before deciding.

Virginia Union University Biology (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Virginia Union University biology graduates stay in Virginia?

Most do. 67% (20 of 30) were working in Virginia one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Biology, General
Private nonprofit university
Richmond, VA
About 12 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Virginia Union University biology graduates earn about what biology graduates earn nationally, $32,986 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $33,700 in federal loans, more than at 99% of biology programs in the country. Several Virginia programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$32,98655th percentile of 795 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$43,89933% more than year one

Median federal debt$33,70025th lowest of 25 Virginia programs

Debt-to-earnings102%Virginia median 78%, national 75%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Virginia and national columns are the medians across all biology bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Virginia Union University	Virginia	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$32,986	$32,457	$32,212
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$43,899	$60,096	$60,596
Median federal debt at graduation	$33,700	$25,485	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	102%	78%	75%
Programs compared		25	795

Five years out, Virginia Union University graduates earn less than the national figure and about $16,197 less than the Virginia median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Virginia biology program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Virginia medians.

Virginia Union UniversityOther Virginia programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 33% between the first and fifth year.

Virginia Union University grads, year 1$32,986

Virginia Union University grads, year 5$43,899

All Virginia biology grads, year 5$60,096

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $357 a month, or 13.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

19 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $40,854.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

67% of graduates (20 of 30) were working in Virginia one year after graduating. Prices in the Richmond area are about 2% below the national average, so a $32,986 salary here buys what about $33,708 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to biology, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

$72,170

Median pay in Virginia. 31,100 people work in this job in Virginia. Nationally, jobs are projected to stay about the same in number from 2025 to 2035, with about 63,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $49,900Top 10%: $107,930

Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists

$93,620

Median pay in Virginia. 4,560 people work in this job in Virginia. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 13% from 2025 to 2035, with about 10,500 openings a year. Typical education to start: doctoral or professional degree.

Bottom 10%: $65,540Top 10%: $186,810

Natural Sciences Managers

$150,570

Median pay in Virginia. 1,470 people work in this job in Virginia. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.

Bottom 10%: $84,080Top 10%: $212,620

Biological Technicians

$53,360

Median pay in Virginia. 1,820 people work in this job in Virginia. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $40,330Top 10%: $79,470

About Virginia Union University

Tuition and fees	$17,450 / year
Average net price after aid	$13,235 / year
Admission rate	98%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	34%
Undergraduate students	1,203

Biology ranks 2nd of 6 bachelor's programs at Virginia Union University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer and Information Science ($33,126), Biology ($32,986), and Criminology ($30,291).

Other biology bachelor's programs near Richmond

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Virginia Union UniversityRichmond, VA · private nonprofit		$32,986	$33,700
VCURichmond, VA · public	Under 1 mi	$31,149	$21,712
University of RichmondUniversity of Richmond, VA · private nonprofit	5 mi	$36,300	$20,064
Randolph-Macon CollegeAshland, VA · private nonprofit	14 mi	$33,361	$26,067
Virginia StatePetersburg, VA · public	23 mi	$28,169	$26,000
William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA · public	46 mi	$29,851	$16,681
University of Mary WashingtonFredericksburg, VA · public	51 mi	$35,194	$22,567
Longwood UniversityFarmville, VA · public	55 mi	$33,686	$26,946
Hampden-Sydney CollegeHampden-Sydney, VA · private nonprofit	60 mi	$41,876	$24,500

Common questions

The median graduate earns $32,986 one year after graduating and $43,899 five years after. The median across biology bachelor's programs in Virginia is $32,457.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Virginia comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the biology program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Biology bachelor's programs in Virginia, ranked25 programs by pay and debt Biology bachelor's programs in the US, ranked795 programs by pay and debt All Virginia Union University programs, ranked6 programs by pay and debt