Best Philosophy Schools Near Petersburg, VA (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Petersburg, Virginia has 5 accredited schools offering philosophy programs, with tuition ranging from $16,828 to $51,038 per year for indexed programs. Petersburg has a population of about 33,365. Median household income is $50,741 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Richmond, VA metro area, the top-earning philosophy-related role is Lawyers at a median $144,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Philosophy Schools to Petersburg

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

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 24.1 miles from Petersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
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: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA 27.0 miles from Petersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $76,178
Avg net price $31,309/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA 37.9 miles from Petersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
85.4 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 34%
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,490
Avg net price $19,096/yr
Tuition
In‑state$25,914
Out‑of‑state$51,038
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 55

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

#4

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA 50.4 miles from Petersburg
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
59.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 86%
Graduation rate 73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,509
Avg net price $23,015/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,828
Out‑of‑state$31,178
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 26

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

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#5

Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, VA 59.1 miles from Petersburg
  • 4 year
60.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $67,640
Avg net price $22,400/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 21

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA 63.7 miles from Petersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.9 BOC Score
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: 110

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 83.7 miles from Petersburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 94%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $86,863
Avg net price $21,565/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar, VA 95.9 miles from Petersburg
  • 4 year
42.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $51,943
Avg net price $17,758/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Philosophy Wages Near Petersburg

Petersburg is part of the Richmond, VA metro area (BLS area code 40060). 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)
Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary $85,310 Richmond, VA $87,140
Writers and Authors $74,300 Richmond, VA $75,894
Lawyers $144,910 Richmond, VA $148,018
Clergy $60,190 Richmond, VA $61,481
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $62,000 Richmond, VA $63,330
Editors $70,380 Richmond, VA $71,890
Management Analysts $95,660 Richmond, VA $97,712

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.

Petersburg at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 33,365 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $50,741 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.9 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Petersburg-Area Cities With Philosophy Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited philosophy schools are near Petersburg, VA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering philosophy programs near Petersburg. The closest is Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA (24.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Hampden-Sydney College (59.1 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying philosophy roles near Petersburg?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying philosophy-related roles near Petersburg are: Lawyers ($144,910), Management Analysts ($95,660), Philosophy and Religion Teachers, Postsecondary ($85,310). 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 Hopewell instead of Petersburg?

Hopewell, VA is 7.9 miles from Petersburg and has its own set of local philosophy programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Petersburg an affordable place to study philosophy?

Petersburg’s median household income of $50,741 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Petersburg 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 Philosophy Programs

Other Programs Available in Petersburg

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

Data verified: September 5, 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 Philosophy Schools in Virginia: Online Programs (2026)