COLLEGES · 30-YEAR ROI · RADFORD, VA

Is Radford University worth the money?

Yes — at resident pricing. A Radford University degree clears +$803K in 30-year projected net value over skipping college and investing the difference.

A public four-year school in Radford, Virginia, priced as a Virginia resident — earnings rolled up from 37 FREOPP-reported programs.

IPEDS 2023 cost · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · same model as /worth-it · this school clears positive net value.

Radford University · Radford, VA

30-year net value · resident pricing
+$803K
30-year net value · non-resident
+$364K
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$51,692
Breaks even by age
—
Annual tuition · Virginia resident
$12,286
Annual tuition · out-of-state
$25,185
Total cost of attendance (4 years, sticker)
$97,036
Total cost of attendance · out-of-state
$148,632
FREOPP program coverage
37 programs

The out-of-state tax in Virginia, ranked

How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Radford University runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the standard loan assumptions, a 30-year horizon, and Virginia’s own cost-of-living on the skip-college path. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of going vs. skipping and investing the difference, in real dollars.

What it isn’t: a verdict on every major. The school-level number averages across 37 FREOPP-reported programs — the field you pick swings it by over a million dollars on its own. We only publish school pages that clear positive net value at resident pricing; earnings roll up from at least three FREOPP programs (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t fake the number.

Questions

Is Radford University worth the money?
At resident pricing, yes: Radford University clears +$803K in 30-year projected net value versus skipping college and investing the difference. That is computed from a total cost of attendance of $97,036 and median earnings of $51,692 ten years after entry (IPEDS 2023 cost, FREOPP 2021 earnings, BEA 2023 cost-of-living — the same model as the LE TEEN calculator).
How much is tuition at Radford University?
Radford University's annual sticker tuition is $12,286 for Virginia residents and $25,185 for out-of-state students, before financial aid. Total cost of attendance over 4 years — tuition plus fees, housing, and living costs — is $97,036 (IPEDS 2023).
What is the total cost of Radford University?
Over 4 years, Radford University's sticker cost of attendance is $97,036 at resident pricing, or $148,632 out-of-state — tuition, fees, housing, and living costs at Virginia prices, before financial aid. Median earnings ten years after entry are $51,692.
What is out-of-state tuition at Radford University?
Non-resident annual sticker tuition at Radford University is $25,185, versus $12,286 for Virginia residents — a premium of $12,899 a year. Even at the non-resident rate, Radford University clears positive 30-year net value.
How long until a Radford University degree pays for itself?
Under our defaults the degree path finishes +$803K ahead at the 30-year horizon; the year-by-year crossover depends on your loan share and time horizon — run your own assumptions on the calculator.
What could change the number for Radford University?
Two levers dominate. Residency: this page prices Radford University as a Virginia resident; at non-resident tuition it still clears +$364K, but the gap is real money (see the out-of-state tax in Virginia). And the major: the field you pick swings lifetime ROI by over a million dollars on its own (see the majors pages).

Keep going

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Is Radford University worth the money? 30-year ROI.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/colleges/radford-university