Social Sciences, General graduates from Virginia Western Community College earn $38,545 median salary — below the national average for this program. Median debt: $9,346.
Social Sciences, General at Virginia Western Community College
Roanoke, Virginia • Associate's
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Social Sciences, General at Virginia Western Community College
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for Virginia Western Community College and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Social Sciences, General at the associate's credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 67 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at Virginia Western Community College, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $38,545 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $41,364 across all institutions offering Social Sciences, General, graduates here earn below the national average for this program. Across all programs at Virginia Western Community College, the mean median-earnings figure is $44,104, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. The median cumulative federal loan debt for Social Sciences, General graduates at Virginia Western Community College is $9,346, which translates to roughly $78 per month on a standard 10-year repayment plan. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.24 is under the 1.0 threshold the College Scorecard uses to flag favorable gainful-employment outcomes — earnings in year one already exceed cumulative borrowing. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Social Sciences, General at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Ohlone College | $58,928 | — |
| City College of San Francisco | $56,257 | — |
| Roxbury Community College | $55,329 | — |
| College of San Mateo | $52,619 | — |
| De Anza College | $51,460 | — |
| Woodland Community College | $51,051 | — |
| Merritt College | $50,001 | — |
| Pasadena City College | $48,709 | — |
| Northern Virginia Community College | $48,344 | $9,750 |
| American River College | $47,731 | — |
Other Programs at Virginia Western Community College
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering, General | $74,206 | — |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $72,417 | $9,091 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $71,142 | $12,789 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $67,524 | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | $65,088 | $12,000 |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | $61,639 | $19,039 |
| Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians | $54,928 | — |
| Precision Metal Working | $53,278 | — |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) | $50,813 | — |
| Electrical and Power Transmission Installers | $49,602 | — |
View all 30 programs at Virginia Western Community College →
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About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.