Norfolk is home to six colleges, with about 32,000 students on campus
Old Dominion University (14,191 students on campus) and Tidewater Community College (10,715) are inside the city, and Virginia Wesleyan University (1,494) is 5 miles from the center, just over the line in Virginia Beach. About 10% of Norfolk’s residents are enrolled in college, above Virginia (7%).
From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Norfolk. Colleges are described, not graded.
Within 15 miles
17
53,465 students on campus
Nearest college
1.2 mi
Centura College-Norfolk
Residents in college
10%
Above VA (7%)
Nearest community college
5.7 mi
Tidewater · $5,588 tuition
Nearest public university
4.3 mi
Old Dominion University · $12,750 in-state
Median household income
$66K
prices below start here
What stands out about college in Norfolk
Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.
Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.
What it costs
What would your family pay?
The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.
Family income
Starts at $48–75k, where Norfolk’s median household income ($66,109) falls.
The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.
Outcomes
Do students finish, and does it pay?
Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Norfolk: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.
Old Dominion University46% graduate$55k earnings*$24k typical debt
Tidewater Community College32% graduate$38k earnings$10k typical debt
Riverside College of Health Careers100% graduate$66k earnings$15k typical debt
Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Centura College-Norfolk (4); Old Dominion University (2); Fortis College-Norfolk (3); Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach (8); South University-Virginia Beach (10).
Majors
What students study in Norfolk
Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Norfolk’s 5 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.
Health professions 14%Business 13%Computer science 8%Liberal arts 7%Psychology 6%Social sciences 5%Everything else 46%
Biggest programs
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesTidewater Community College · 600 graduates a year
$43k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralOld Dominion University · 309 graduates a year
$52k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsTidewater Community College · 264 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Social Sciences, GeneralTidewater Community College · 202 graduates a year
$41k4 yrs out
CriminologyOld Dominion University · 192 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherOld Dominion University · 191 graduates a year
$56k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOld Dominion University · 178 graduates a year
$91k4 yrs out
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesOld Dominion University · 171 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.
Questions about college in Norfolk
Is Norfolk a college town?
No. About 10 of every 100 Norfolk residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), above Virginia (7). The largest campus in the city, Old Dominion University, has 14,191 students on campus.
What colleges are in Norfolk?
Old Dominion University, Tidewater Community College, Norfolk State University, Eastern Virginia Medical School and 2 more are inside the city. Virginia Wesleyan University is 5 miles from the center, in Virginia Beach.
What is the closest community college to Norfolk, and what does it cost?
Tidewater Community College in Norfolk, 5.7 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,588 a year for Virginia residents; the federal net price, $11,762, counts housing and food at full cost.
How much does Old Dominion University cost if we live in Virginia?
Tuition and fees are $12,750 a year in-state and $33,780 from out of state. After grants, families on federal aid paid an average of $9,739 (under $30,000 income) to $23,567 (over $110,000), housing and food included.
Neighbors talk college
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Norfolk. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →
Photo: Bruce Emmerling · CC BY-SA 4.0