Best Online Graphic Design Programs in Norfolk, VA (2026)

Norfolk, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design 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 graphic design-related role is Art Director at a median $93,270 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Graphic Design Schools to Norfolk

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer graphic design 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.

#1

Tidewater Community College

Norfolk, VA 3.5 miles from Norfolk BOC Score 36.7
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 23%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,349
Avg net price $11,762/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 60

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Graphic Design 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Graphic Designer$60,150Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$61,440
Art Director$93,270Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$95,271
Web and Digital Interface Designer$68,590Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$70,061
Special Effects Artist and Animator$78,430Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$80,112

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

MetricValueSource
Population235,037Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$64,017Census 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 Graphic Design Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited graphic design schools are near Norfolk, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering graphic design programs near Norfolk. The closest is Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA (2.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Regent University (7.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying graphic design roles near Norfolk?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying graphic design-related roles near Norfolk are: Art Director ($93,270), Special Effects Artist and Animator ($78,430), Web and Digital Interface Designer ($68,590). 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 graphic design 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 graphic design?

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 Graphic Design Programs

Other Programs Available in Norfolk

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

Data verified: July 30, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.