Economics at Christopher Newport University

Christopher Newport's economics program produces graduates who earn substantially less than their peers across Virginia—landing in just the 25th percentile among the state's 28 economics programs. With first-year earnings of $45,309, grads trail the Virginia median by nearly $10,000 and fall well short of what students earn from similar programs at JMU ($62,286) or William & Mary ($65,603). Even compared to the national median of $51,722, these graduates start behind. The 29% earnings growth over four years is encouraging, but it only brings median pay to $58,444—still below what many Virginia programs deliver right out of the gate.

The debt load of $23,125 is typical for economics degrees, resulting in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.51. That's the silver lining here: graduates aren't saddled with crushing debt relative to what they earn. However, a small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could swing considerably year to year, and CNU's high 88% admission rate suggests less competitive peer effects that often correlate with career outcomes.

For families considering this program, the question is straightforward: are you comfortable with your child likely earning $10,000+ less than Virginia's economics median? If in-state tuition makes CNU affordable and other factors matter, the reasonable debt load keeps doors open. But purely as an investment, Virginia offers multiple stronger options for economics students.