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Physics at Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA · Public · Bachelor's Degree
49 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
51
Optimistic
49
Base Case
45
Pessimistic
Earnings $39,804/yr (-14% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (50% exposed)
Job Market Large (77,700 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Physics graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $456K $376K $289K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 6.9x 5.7x 4.4x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 2.9x 2.4x 1.9x
Viable Career Paths 4 of 4 4 of 4 3 of 4
DegreeWorth Score 51 49 45

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$65,832
Out-of-state: $156,168
Median Debt at Graduation
$22,078
6.7 months of Year 1 earnings

Career Paths

Where Physics graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 77,700 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Physicists $166,290 1,700 +4.0% 75%
Natural sciences managers $161,180 8,500 +3.7% 50%
Physics teachers, postsecondary $97,360 1,300 +2.5% 42%
Secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education $64,580 66,200 -1.6% 33%

Compare & Explore

Physics at Other Schools

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($70,150) Brigham Young University ($68,664) University of Pennsylvania ($68,215) Whitworth University ($65,316) California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ($64,045) Portland State University ($62,749) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ($62,647) Georgia College & State University ($62,478)

Other Majors at Virginia Commonwealth University

Computer and Information Sciences, General ($84,338) Computer Engineering ($82,964) Chemical Engineering ($79,721) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($77,938) Mechanical Engineering ($73,355) Dental Support Services and Allied Professions ($72,808) Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($71,847) Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions ($67,072)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Physics at Virginia Commonwealth University?
This program scores 49/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 51 (optimistic) to 45 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Physics career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Physics graduates retain 4 of 4 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $289,388 (pessimistic) to $456,309 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Physics graduates?
The career paths mapped to Physics have roughly 77,700 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Physics at Virginia Commonwealth University worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 5.7x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 4.4x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.