Chesapeake, Virginia has 4 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $2,540 to $77,290 per year for indexed 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 liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $101,380 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Chesapeake
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer liberal arts 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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.
Acceptance rate
86%
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,509
Avg net price
$23,015/yr
TuitionIn‑state$16,828
Out‑of‑state$31,178
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 2
Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,543
Avg net price
$15,840/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 70%
- Programs offered: 7
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,128
Avg net price
$23,433/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 85%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$76,178
Avg net price
$31,309/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 6
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$76,343
Avg net price
$17,915/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 28
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
82%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$69,954
Avg net price
$23,322/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 7
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$58,433
Avg net price
$30,298/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 82%
- Programs offered: 16
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$81,698
Avg net price
$24,953/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 24
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Virginia schools on the Virginia liberal arts page.
Liberal Arts 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.
| Occupation | Median Wage | Source | COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
|---|
| Public Relations Specialist | $73,890 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $75,475 |
| Management Analyst | $101,380 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $103,555 |
| Technical Writer | $79,340 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $81,042 |
| News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist | $47,160 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $48,172 |
| Editor | $59,570 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $60,848 |
| Training and Development Specialist | $74,470 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $76,067 |
| Human Resources Specialist | $76,240 | Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $77,875 |
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
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 251,153 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $94,189 | Census 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 Liberal Arts Programs
- Portsmouth, VA – 12.0 mi away (95,252 pop)
- Virginia Beach, VA – 14.8 mi away (1,487,505 pop)
- Norfolk, VA – 15.2 mi away (245,115 pop)
- Suffolk, VA – 18.7 mi away (89,273 pop)
- Hampton, VA – 26.3 mi away (135,410 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Chesapeake, VA?
Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Chesapeake are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.
What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Chesapeake?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Chesapeake are: Management Analyst ($101,380), Technical Writer ($79,340), Human Resources Specialist ($76,240). 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 liberal arts 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 liberal arts?
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 Liberal Arts Programs
Other Programs Available in Chesapeake
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Chesapeake:
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Data verified: July 23, 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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