Best Compliance Officer programs in Virginia, ranked by enrollment
Examine, evaluate, and investigate eligibility for or conformity with laws and regulations governing contract compliance of licenses and permits, and perform other compliance and enforcement inspection and analysis activities not.
26 schools in Virginia run programs that feed this job, graduating 581 people a year. The job pays a median of $80,380 in Virginia across about 15,190 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Virginia that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
3 programs in Virginia that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Virginia (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Virginia page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 03.0104In Virginia → | 256 | 44.1% | 12 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
| 2 | CIP 52.1001In Virginia → | 167 | 28.7% | 9 | $49,084 | $26,536 |
| 3 | CIP 03.0103In Virginia → | 158 | 27.2% | 13 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
Top 25 schools in Virginia
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 9 of the 26 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 114 | Environmental Science | $41,790 | 96% | — | 17% |
| 2 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 76 | Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General | — | 65% | $28,911 | 99% |
| 3 | George Mason University Fairfax, VA Public · 2 feeder programs | 75 | Environmental Science | $43,038 | 68% | — | 87% |
| 4 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 59 | Environmental Studies | $32,038 | 63% | — | 93% |
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 51 | Environmental Science | $39,361 | 86% | — | 55% |
| 6 | University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 26 | Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General | $55,123 | 85% | $24,049 | 22% |
| 7 | Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 22 | Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General | — | 53% | $19,485 | 92% |
| 8 | Roanoke College Salem, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Environmental Studies | $39,588 | 67% | $24,604 | 83% |
| 9 | ECPI University Virginia Beach, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General | — | 42% | $21,909 | 75% |
| 10 | Regent University Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General | $51,631 | 57% | $18,677 | 38% |
| 11 | Strayer University - Virginia Arlington, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General | — | 36% | — | — |
| 12 | Emory & Henry University Emory, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 14 | Environmental Science | — | 56% | $20,446 | 84% |
| 13 | Longwood University Farmville, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Environmental Science | $39,391 | 61% | — | 90% |
| 14 | Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Environmental Studies | — | 72% | — | 86% |
| 15 | Hollins University Roanoke, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Environmental Studies | — | 65% | $21,981 | 68% |
| 16 | Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Environmental Studies | — | 94% | $11,983 | 14% |
| 17 | Ferrum College Ferrum, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 6 | Environmental Science | — | 32% | $22,258 | 89% |
| 18 | University of Lynchburg Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Environmental Science | — | 57% | $19,488 | 43% |
| 19 | Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 6 | Environmental Studies | — | 42% | $20,171 | 73% |
| 20 | Bryant & Stratton College - Virginia Beach Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General | $39,428 | 24% | $12,786 | — |
| 21 | Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Environmental Science | — | 67% | $21,933 | 100% |
| 22 | Patrick Henry College Purcellville, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Environmental Science | — | 74% | — | 77% |
| 23 | Randolph College Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 3 | Environmental Studies | — | 46% | $18,525 | 94% |
| 24 | Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Environmental Studies | — | 70% | $26,498 | 87% |
| 25 | Shenandoah University Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Environmental Studies | — | 67% | $27,455 | 77% |
All 26 schools in Virginia
Every school in Virginia with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Virginia - Main Campus | Charlottesville | Public | 114 | 3 |
| Liberty University | Lynchburg | Private not-for-profit | 76 | 1 |
| George Mason University | Fairfax | Public | 75 | 2 |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond | Public | 59 | 1 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg | Public | 51 | 1 |
| University of Richmond | University of Richmond | Private not-for-profit | 26 | 2 |
| Bridgewater College | Bridgewater | Private not-for-profit | 22 | 2 |
| Roanoke College | Salem | Private not-for-profit | 18 | 1 |
| ECPI University | Virginia Beach | Private for-profit | 15 | 1 |
| Regent University | Virginia Beach | Private not-for-profit | 15 | 1 |
| Strayer University - Virginia | Arlington | Private for-profit | 15 | 1 |
| Emory & Henry University | Emory | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 2 |
| Longwood University | Farmville | Public | 12 | 1 |
| Christopher Newport University | Newport News | Public | 10 | 1 |
| Hollins University | Roanoke | Private not-for-profit | 10 | 1 |
What compliance officers earn in Virginia
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $80,730. Virginia pays below the national figure.
Concentrated here: Virginia employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in Virginia
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Compliance Officers page.
How to become a Compliance Officer
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- On-the-job training
- Moderate-term on-the-job training
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Virginia
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 11 majors mapped to Compliance Officers10 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 03.0103Environmental Studies
- 03.0104Environmental Science
- 03.0208Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services
- 03.0209Energy and Environmental Policy
- 30.4101Environmental Geosciences
- 43.0121Suspension and Debarment Investigation(no graduates reported)
- 51.0717Medical Staff Services Technology/Technician
- 51.0720Regulatory Science/Affairs
- 51.2213Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality
- 52.1001Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
- 52.1002Labor and Industrial Relations
Common questions
Answers for people weighing compliance officers programs in Virginia.
What degree do you need to become a Compliance Officer?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Environmental Science, which awarded 256 degrees in Virginia in 2024-25, 44.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a Compliance Officer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Human Resources Management and Services. Together they graduate about 581 people a year in Virginia.
How much do compliance officers earn in Virginia?+
The median is $80,380 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.4% below the U.S. median of $80,730. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for compliance officers growing?+
BLS projects a +3.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 33,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Virginia?+
26 institutions in Virginia reported graduates from at least one of the 3 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do compliance officers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Coroner, Customs Broker, License Examiner, Medical Examiner, Housing Inspector, Enforcement Officer among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 13-1041.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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