Higher Education

Higher Education

Our regional post-secondary education offers various options for workforce training.

The Virginia Beach MSA has the highest concentration of college students in Virginia, with more than 15​,000 college students (Source: Hampton Roads Alliance, 2021) graduating annually and 85,117 students enrolled (Source: SCHEV, 2020) in the region's two and four-year colleges, excluding private specialty and non-traditional schools. ​

Virginia Wesleyan University and Regent University both have main campuses in the City of Virginia Beach, and the area is also home to The College of William & Mary, the second oldest public college in the nation, as well as Hampton and Norfolk State universities. Regent University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in more than 135 programs and supports more than 10,000 students annually. Read more about the region's higher education institutions.

More than 37.7 percent of City residents have a bachelor’s degree or higher, providing a large pool of highly qualified talent from which to recruit employees. (Source: Virginia Beach Community Profile, 2020)

FOUR-YEAR INSTITUTIONSUNDERGRADUATESGRADUATE​SPROFESSIONALSTOTAL
Christopher Newport University4,7581100

4,868

College of William & Mary6,2362,0636408,939
Eastern Virginia Medical School08396201,459
Hampton University3,062362913,515
Norfolk State University4,99246505,457
Old Dominion University19,6224,664024,286
Regent University*

4,858

5,16394910,970
Virginia Wesleyan University​*1,2837801,361

Total Four-Year Institutions

44,811

13,744

2,300

60,855

​​*A college with a main campus in the City of Virginia Beach

Source: State Council for Higher Education of Virginia, 2020-2021 Fall Enrollment​

TWO-YEAR INSTITUTIONSENROLLMENT
Tidewater Community College*16,769
Paul D. Camp Community College1,237
Thomas Nelson Community College6,256

Total Two-Year Institutions

24,262

*A college with a campus in the City of Virginia Beach

Source: State Council for Higher Education of Virginia, 2020-2021 Fall Enrollment​

Additionally, numerous specialty and nontraditional schools that offer degree and/ or certification programs have campuses in Hampton Roads, including:​​

Advanced Technology InstituteFortis College
Art Institute of Virginia BeachKee Business College

Atlantic University

Professional Technical Learning Center, LLC
Averett CollegeRiverside College of Health Careers
Aviation Institute of MaintenanceSentara College of Health Sciences
Bethel CollegeSouth University
Bryant & Stratton College

Strayer University

Centura CollegeTidewater Tech
DeVry UniversityTraining Solutions
ECPI UniversityTroy University
Everest CollegeWorld College

Source: City of Virginia Beach, 2021

Other private and public colleges operate satellite campuses in the Virginia Beach area, including the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Saint Leo University, Troy University, and The George Washington University. ​​

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