Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Virginia Beach, VA (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Virginia Beach, Virginia has 2 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $2,540 to $15,189 per year for indexed programs. Virginia Beach has a population of about 457,066. Median household income is $90,685 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 40.4% 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 Virginia Beach

The 2 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 2 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Virginia Beach. Distances are calculated from Virginia Beach city center.

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 Virginia Beach. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 95.9 miles from Virginia Beach BOC Score65.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

Visit website

#2

Beaufort County Community College

Washington, NC 97.6 miles from Virginia Beach BOC Score52.8
Published tuition$2,540 - $15,189
Online programsYes

Visit website

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

Liberal Arts Wages Near Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach 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)
Public Relations Specialist$73,890Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$75,475
Management Analyst$101,380Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$103,555
Technical Writer$79,340Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$81,042
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$47,160Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$48,172
Editor$59,570Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$60,848
Training and Development Specialist$74,470Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$76,067
Human Resources Specialist$76,240Virginia 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.

Virginia Beach at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population457,066Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$90,685Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+40.4%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)97.9 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in Virginia Beach (city) County719 workers, 79 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Virginia Beach-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Virginia Beach, VA?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Virginia Beach. The closest is Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA (95.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Beaufort County Community College (97.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Virginia Beach?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Virginia Beach 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 Chesapeake instead of Virginia Beach?

Chesapeake, VA is 14.8 miles from Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Virginia Beach’s median household income of $90,685 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach

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

Data verified: June 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.

Back to Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Virginia (2026)

Return to Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Virginia (2026)