Best Interior Design Schools Near Chesapeake, VA (2026)

Updated August 25, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Chesapeake, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs. Chesapeake has a population of about 251,153. Median household income is $94,189 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.4% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area, the top-earning interior design-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $60,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Interior Design Schools to Chesapeake

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer interior design programs near Chesapeake, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Chesapeake 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 Chesapeake. 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

Tidewater Community College

Norfolk, VA 11.9 miles from Chesapeake
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
36.7 BOC Score
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: 58

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

J Sargeant Reynolds Community College

Richmond, VA 86.2 miles from Chesapeake
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
52.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,529
Avg net price $5,168/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 36

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 87.4 miles from Chesapeake
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Northern Virginia Community College

Annandale, VA 157.7 miles from Chesapeake
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
62.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,557
Avg net price $9,919/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Marymount University

Arlington, VA 160.3 miles from Chesapeake
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,516
Avg net price $29,137/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 165.4 miles from Chesapeake
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA 230.8 miles from Chesapeake
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
80.5 BOC Score
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: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Interior Design Wages Near Chesapeake

Chesapeake 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)
Interior Designer$59,920Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$61,205
Graphic Designer$60,150Virginia 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.

Chesapeake at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population251,153Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$94,189Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+36.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Chesapeake-Area Cities With Interior Design Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited interior design schools are near Chesapeake, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering interior design programs near Chesapeake. The closest is Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, VA (11.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rappahannock Community College (63.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying interior design roles near Chesapeake?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying interior design-related roles near Chesapeake are: Graphic Designer ($60,150), Interior Designer ($59,920). 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 Chesapeake?

Portsmouth, VA is 12.0 miles from Chesapeake and has its own set of local interior design programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Chesapeake an affordable place to study interior design?

Chesapeake’s median household income of $94,189 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chesapeake 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 Interior Design Programs

Other Programs Available in Chesapeake

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

Data verified: August 25, 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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