Best Photography Schools Near Chesapeake, VA (2026)

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

Chesapeake, Virginia has 4 accredited schools offering photography 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 photography-related role is Graphic Designer at a median $60,150 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Photography Schools to Chesapeake

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer photography 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

Virginia Peninsula Community College

Hampton, VA 27.5 miles from Chesapeake
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
39.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 21%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,996
Avg net price $7,012/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Brightpoint Community College

Chester, VA 76.5 miles from Chesapeake
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 28%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,223
Avg net price $5,490/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

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

#5

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

#6

Danville Community College

Danville, VA 172.5 miles from Chesapeake
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
46.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 39%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,664
Avg net price $6,669/yr
Tuition
In‑state$4,992
Out‑of‑state$11,430
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 40

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

#7

Eastern Mennonite University

Harrisonburg, VA 187.8 miles from Chesapeake
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
56.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,869
Avg net price $24,588/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Photography 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)
Photographer$42,210Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC$43,115
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 Photography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited photography schools are near Chesapeake, VA?

Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering photography programs near Chesapeake. The closest is Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, VA (11.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Virginia Commonwealth University (87.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying photography roles near Chesapeake?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying photography-related roles near Chesapeake are: Graphic Designer ($60,150), Photographer ($42,210). 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 photography 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 photography?

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 Photography 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.

Back to Best Photography Schools in Virginia: Online Programs (2026)