Accounting at Strayer University-Virginia

Strayer's accounting graduates face a challenging financial reality: they're borrowing more than twice what typical Virginia accounting students carry ($54,989 vs. $25,812 state median) while earning about $1,000 less than the state average. That debt burden—roughly equal to their first-year salary—is unusually heavy. To put this in perspective, accounting grads from nearby George Mason earn $67,291 and typically carry far less debt, while James Madison graduates start above $71,000.

The program does show modest earnings growth over four years (8%), and the fact that 55% of students receive Pell grants suggests Strayer serves students who might not have other options. However, ranking in just the 40th percentile among Virginia accounting programs while carrying debt in the 5th percentile nationally (meaning among the highest) creates a difficult starting point for recent graduates.

For families considering this program, the central question is whether access justifies the cost. If your child has admission offers from Virginia's public universities—particularly schools like George Mason or Virginia Tech—those would deliver significantly better earnings potential with less debt. Strayer might make sense only if it's the sole path to a degree, but even then, exploring community college transfer pathways to four-year public institutions could offer better financial outcomes.