Our graduates are going places.
After VCU
A college education is one of the most valuable investments you can make.
According to one study, a bachelor’s degree is worth $2.8 million on average over a lifetime.
And a Virginia Commonwealth University education? It gives you a head start at putting your passions to work and loading up your resume long before you graduate.
Where will a VCU degree take you?
One year after graduating, here’s how VCU alumni are doing*:
86 percent of graduates were employed or enrolled in graduate school
83 percent of graduates found jobs related to their major
82 percent of undergraduate alumni felt prepared to solve problems creatively and innovatively
90 percent of undergraduate alumni felt ready to apply knowledge, ideas or perspectives from their field
93 percent of undergraduate alumni felt able to get along with people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives
*Results from survey of the Class of 2015
Top 5 employment sectors
Health care
Retail
IT
Education
Nonprofit
Career launchpad
Finding a job is stressful. Let Career Services be your secret weapon. Personal advisers help students search for jobs and internships, develop their resumes, practice for interviews, develop grad school admissions essays and more. For free. And the help doesn’t stop when you graduate — many services are available to alumni, too.
Quick Facts
13 career fairs on campus each year
40+ alumni chapters
199,158 alumni
Notable alumni
One year out
What are some of our students doing a year after they graduate? Oh, you know, nothing much; just getting paid to do what they love. And making the world a better place in the process.
Careers in Design
Michael Walker (B.A. '16)
Visual digital designer, Mercer
Michael, a graphic design major and Honors College student, was able to spend a semester at VCU’s campus in Qatar, where he interned at an advertising agency. Studying abroad gave him the courage to chase his dreams and move to New York after graduating, where he quickly got a job doing user interface and user experience design at Mercer, the world’s largest human resources consulting firm.
Careers in Health care
Indira Miller (B.S. '17)
Registered nursing assistant, VCU Health
While she was completing her bachelor’s in nursing, Indira — a two-time recipient of the Whitehead Scholarship and the MCV Hospitals Auxiliary Nursing Scholarship — had the chance to work with patients and even go on a ride-along with VCU LifeEvac. These experiences helped prepare her for her current job, where she works with critically injured patients in the VCU Medical Center’s Surgical Trauma ICU.
Careers in Sustainability
Kaitlin Savage (B.S. '17)
Renewable energy consultant, Virginia Solar
A double-major in environmental studies and urban and regional planning, Kaitlin worked closely with faculty mentors while studying urban heat islands and learning how to use spatial analysis tools. Her interdisciplinary approach paid off, landing her an internship at Virginia Solar that led to a full-time position. Since graduating, she’s also started a consulting firm called Sol Vis LLC.
Careers in the Arts
Levester Williams (M.F.A. '16)
Fulbright Scholar
After completing his M.F.A. with a concentration in sculpture and extended media, Levester worked with VCU’s National Scholarship Office to apply for a Fulbright research grant that allowed him to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa. There he used found objects to create sculptures, installations and works on paper that reflect the contemporary urban experience and the transformation of Johannesburg into a post-apartheid city.
Careers in Nonprofits
Pamela Gonzalez (B.A. '16)
Administrative assistant to the executive director, Latin Ballet of Virginia
While double-majoring in Spanish and international studies with a concentration in social justice, Pamela also took on leadership roles for two student organizations. The skills she learned have helped her with the community development side of her job with the Latin Ballet, where she helps with calendar planning, marketing, collaborating with local businesses and translating the website into Spanish.
Careers in Science
Ellen Korcovelos (B.S. '16)
Fulbright Scholar
Ellen, a bioinformatics major and computer science minor, focused her studies on dementia. During her senior year, she worked with VCU’s National Scholarship Office and a faculty mentor to apply for a Fulbright research grant that allowed her to travel to Toronto after graduation. She worked with a renowned researcher there on developing a computer algorithm that identifies speech irregularities in dementia patients.
Ram for life
VCU’s alumni network is more than 188,000 strong and it spans the globe. Make it work for you.
As I went on residency interviews and met candidates from other schools, I realized how lucky I am to be at a school that supports all of my interests.
Suzanne Giunta, M.D., 2016