Best Innovation Schools Near Herndon, VA (2026)

Herndon, Virginia has 29 accredited schools offering innovation programs, with tuition ranging from $3,849 to $67,710 per year for indexed programs. Herndon has a population of about 24,529. Median household income is $141,418 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 50.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning innovation-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $195,190 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Innovation Schools to Herndon

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer innovation programs near Herndon, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Herndon 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 Herndon. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Strayer University-Virginia

Arlington, VA 17.1 miles from Herndon BOC Score 26.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Avg net price $19,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 42%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA 43.6 miles from Herndon BOC Score 59.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA 155.5 miles from Herndon BOC Score 57.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,914
Avg net price $14,638/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Mountain Gateway Community College

Clifton Forge, VA 155.6 miles from Herndon BOC Score 42.0
  • 2 year
  • Accredited
Graduation rate 42%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,293
Avg net price $4,861/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,022
Out‑of‑state$11,460
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 32

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

#5

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA 163.5 miles from Herndon BOC Score 34.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 44

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

#6

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA 204.7 miles from Herndon BOC Score 80.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,698
Avg net price $24,953/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Bluefield University

Bluefield, VA 241.4 miles from Herndon BOC Score 35.5
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 59%
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,896
Avg net price $25,573/yr
Tuition
In‑state$26,770
Out‑of‑state$26,770
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 56%
  • Programs offered: 28

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

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


Innovation Wages Near Herndon

Herndon is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Virginia statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
General and Operations Manager$156,460Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$143,673
Management Analyst$126,830Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$116,465
Marketing Manager$181,260Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$166,446
Computer and Information Systems Manager$195,190Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV$179,238

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.


Herndon at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population24,529Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$141,418Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+50.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)108.9 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Herndon-Area Cities With Innovation Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited innovation schools are near Herndon, VA?

Our directory has 29 accredited schools offering innovation programs near Herndon. The closest is American University in Washington, DC (16.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is American Public University System (33.6 miles). 9 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying innovation roles near Herndon?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying innovation-related roles near Herndon are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($195,190), Marketing Manager ($181,260), General and Operations Manager ($156,460). 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 Fairfax instead of Herndon?

Fairfax, VA is 9.3 miles from Herndon and has its own set of local innovation programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Herndon an affordable place to study innovation?

Herndon’s median household income of $141,418 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Herndon 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 Innovation Programs

Other Programs Available in Herndon

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

Data verified: August 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.