Best Film Schools Near Norfolk, VA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Norfolk, Virginia has 3 accredited schools offering film programs, with tuition ranging from $21,650 to $32,838 per year for indexed programs. Norfolk has a population of about 235,037. Median household income is $64,017 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, the top-earning film-related role is Film and Video Editors at a median $78,660 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Film Schools to Norfolk

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer film programs near Norfolk, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Norfolk 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:

  • 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 Norfolk. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA 7.4 miles from Norfolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
34.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 38%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,498
Avg net price $19,923/yr
Tuition
In‑state$21,650
Out‑of‑state$21,650
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 79.8 miles from Norfolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,128
Avg net price $23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA 84.7 miles from Norfolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,178
Avg net price $31,309/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 145.6 miles from Norfolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,343
Avg net price $17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 180

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 164.1 miles from Norfolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,813
Avg net price $29,357/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 178

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA 188.0 miles from Norfolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
59.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,433
Avg net price $30,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Hollins University

Roanoke, VA 205.4 miles from Norfolk
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,075
Avg net price $20,896/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Roanoke College

Salem, VA 211.0 miles from Norfolk
  • 4 year
51.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,047
Avg net price $24,503/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Virginia schools on the Virginia film page.

Film Wages Near Norfolk

Norfolk 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)
Film and Video Editors $78,660 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $80,347
Camera Operators, Television, Video, and Film $45,820 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $46,803
Producers and Directors $56,730 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $57,947
Special Effects Artists and Animators $78,430 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $80,112
Audio and Video Technicians $53,960 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $55,117
Sound Engineering Technicians $49,920 VA statewide $50,991
Writers and Authors $73,460 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $75,036
Graphic Designers $60,150 Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC $61,440

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.

Norfolk at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 235,037 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,017 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Norfolk-Area Cities With Film Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited film schools are near Norfolk, VA?

Our directory has 3 accredited schools offering film programs near Norfolk. The closest is Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA (7.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Richmond (84.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying film roles near Norfolk?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying film-related roles near Norfolk are: Film and Video Editors ($78,660), Special Effects Artists and Animators ($78,430), Writers and Authors ($73,460). 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 Portsmouth instead of Norfolk?

Portsmouth, VA is 6.2 miles from Norfolk and has its own set of local film programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Norfolk an affordable place to study film?

Norfolk’s median household income of $64,017 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Norfolk 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 Film Programs

Other Programs Available in Norfolk

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Norfolk:

Data verified: September 5, 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.

Back to Best Film Schools in Virginia: Online Programs (2026)