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Business · Finance Rank #41 of 431

Financeat Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Graduates earn $66,601/yr in their first year — about 20.0% above the national Finance average. Base-case 10-year earnings $877K; scenarios range from $748K to $931K depending on AI disruption.

Blacksburg, VA Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
83 STRONG
85
Optimistic
81
Pessimistic
Earnings
$66,601
1-year post-graduation
ROI
15.4x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$877K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
59% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at Virginia Tech

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Finance graduates start at $66,601/yr — above the $55,340 national average, though not by a wide margin.

The 14.2x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 55% task exposure — and the 20% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $21,500 in median debt clears quickly against $66,601 in annual earnings.

A #41 ranking out of 431 Finance programs nationally puts Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the top 10% — a strong but not elite position.

Earnings growth from $66,601 to $101,795 over five years (53% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$748K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score81/100
Earnings Multiple12.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$877K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score83/100
Earnings Multiple14.2x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$931K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score85/100
Earnings Multiple15.0x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Virginia Tech's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Finance graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Chief executives
+4.3% 10-yr growth · 22,200 openings/yr
$206,420/yr
High
2
Financial managers
+14.8% 10-yr growth · 74,600 openings/yr
$161,700/yr
High
3
Financial risk specialists
+6.5% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$106,000/yr
High
4
General and operations managers
+4.4% 10-yr growth · 308,700 openings/yr
$102,950/yr
Moderate
5
Personal financial advisors
+9.6% 10-yr growth · 24,100 openings/yr
$102,140/yr
High
6
Financial and investment analysts
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 25,100 openings/yr
$101,350/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Finance

How Virginia Tech stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
University of Pennsylvania
PA · Private nonprofit
82
DW Score
$123K
1-yr earn
8.2x
ROI
Georgetown University
DC · Private nonprofit
80
DW Score
$106K
1-yr earn
4.9x
ROI
Washington University in St Louis
MO · Private nonprofit
81
DW Score
$103K
1-yr earn
6.6x
ROI
University of Notre Dame
IN · Private nonprofit
79
DW Score
$99K
1-yr earn
4.5x
ROI
Wake Forest University
NC · Private nonprofit
78
DW Score
$86K
1-yr earn
4.4x
ROI
Also at Virginia Tech

Other top programs at Virginia Tech

Other highest-scoring programs offered at Virginia Tech, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Finance offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Finance trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Finance at Virginia Tech

How does Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Finance program score?

A score of 83/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University's Finance graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

How vulnerable is Finance to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Finance careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 55% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.