Old Dominion University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Best Online Education Programs in Portsmouth, VA (2026)
Portsmouth, Virginia has 2 accredited schools offering education programs. Portsmouth has a population of about 97,299. Median household income is $58,972 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, K-12 at a median $104,050 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Education Schools to Portsmouth
The 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer education programs near Portsmouth. Distances are calculated from Portsmouth city center.
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:
- 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 Portsmouth. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Norfolk State University
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Virginia schools on the Virginia education page.
Education Wages Near Portsmouth
Portsmouth 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary School Teacher | $76,790 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $78,437 |
| Elementary School Teacher | $63,380 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $64,740 |
| Middle School Teacher | $65,300 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $66,701 |
| Education Teacher, Postsecondary | $78,970 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $80,664 |
| Education Administrator, K-12 | $104,050 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $106,282 |
| Education Administrator, Postsecondary | $101,500 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $103,677 |
| Tutor | $52,000 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $53,115 |
| Educational and Career Counselor | $69,840 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $71,338 |
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.
Portsmouth at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 97,299 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $58,972 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 23.2% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 97.9 (below U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
| Education-related employment in Portsmouth (city) County | 175 workers, 10 establishments | BLS QCEW 2024 annual |
Other Portsmouth-Area Cities With Education Programs
- Norfolk, VA – 6.2 mi away (245,115 pop)
- Chesapeake, VA – 12.0 mi away (237,940 pop)
- Hampton, VA – 14.4 mi away (135,410 pop)
- Virginia Beach, VA – 18.9 mi away (1,487,505 pop)
- Suffolk, VA – 19.0 mi away (89,273 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited education schools are near Portsmouth, VA?
Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering education programs near Portsmouth. The closest is Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA (3.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Norfolk State University (4.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying education roles near Portsmouth?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Portsmouth are: Education Administrator, K-12 ($104,050), Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($101,500), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($78,970). 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 Norfolk instead of Portsmouth?
Norfolk, VA is 6.2 miles from Portsmouth and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Portsmouth an affordable place to study education?
Portsmouth’s median household income of $58,972 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Portsmouth 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 Education Programs
- Education accreditation: what to look for
- Education concentrations and specializations
- Is a Education degree worth it?
- Main Education degree guide
- Online Education programs in Virginia
- Education programs by state
Other Programs Available in Portsmouth
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Portsmouth:
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- Nursing programs in Portsmouth, VA
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- Counseling programs in Portsmouth, VA
Related from Our Editorial Library
- Best Accredited Online Colleges (2026)
- Best Online Colleges Ranking
- Effective Learning Strategies for Online Students
Data verified: June 11, 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.