Virginia Beach, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering counseling programs. Virginia Beach has a population of about 457,066. Median household income is $90,685 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, the top-earning counseling-related role is Social and Community Service Manager at a median $92,140 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Counseling Schools to Virginia Beach
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer counseling programs near Virginia Beach, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Virginia Beach city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
- Graduation rate 30%
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
- Average net price (lower is better) 20%
- Retention rate 15%
- Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Virginia Beach.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
12%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$34,421
Avg net price
$27,843/yr
TuitionIn‑state$18,145
Out‑of‑state$18,145
Key stats- Retention rate: 55%
- Programs offered: 14
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
38%
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$44,498
Avg net price
$19,923/yr
TuitionIn‑state$21,650
Out‑of‑state$21,650
Key stats- Retention rate: 71%
- Programs offered: 44
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Virginia schools on the Virginia counseling page.
Counseling Wages Near Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach is part of the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area (BLS area code 47260). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor | $59,280 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $60,552 |
| Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor | $69,840 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $71,338 |
| Marriage and Family Therapist | $81,870 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $83,626 |
| Rehabilitation Counselor | $45,040 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $46,006 |
| Counselor, All Other | $60,010 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $61,297 |
| Social and Community Service Manager | $92,140 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $94,116 |
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Virginia Beach at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 457,066 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $90,685 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 40.4% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Counseling-related employment in Virginia Beach (city) County | 2,110 workers, 1,287 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Virginia Beach-Area Cities With Counseling Programs
- Chesapeake, VA – 14.8 mi away (237,940 pop)
- Norfolk, VA – 16.3 mi away (245,115 pop)
- Portsmouth, VA – 18.9 mi away (95,252 pop)
- Hampton, VA – 28.4 mi away (135,410 pop)
- Elizabeth City, NC – 32.1 mi away (22,934 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited counseling schools are near Virginia Beach, VA?
Accredited schools offering counseling programs near Virginia Beach are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.
What are the highest-paying counseling roles near Virginia Beach?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying counseling-related roles near Virginia Beach are: Social and Community Service Manager ($92,140), Marriage and Family Therapist ($81,870), Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselor and Advisor ($69,840). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Virginia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Chesapeake instead of Virginia Beach?
Chesapeake, VA is 14.8 miles from Virginia Beach and has its own set of local counseling programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Virginia Beach an affordable place to study counseling?
Virginia Beach’s median household income of $90,685 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Virginia Beach while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Virginia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Counseling Programs
Other Programs Available in Virginia Beach
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Virginia Beach:
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Data verified: July 23, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
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