Located within minutes of the Atlantic coast, Chesapeake, VA, has several schools -- ranging from community colleges and vocational schools to four-year universities -- situated less than half an hour from the city. To help students find the right college experience, we compare the non-specialty schools based on data provided by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
Closest Schools to Chesapeake, Virginia
The closest schools to Chesapeake are almost entirely private institutions. Only a couple of the schools nearby offer graduate-level degree programs.
- Centura College-Chesapeake (located downtown)
- Everest College-Chesapeake (located downtown)
- Strayer University-Chesapeake Campus (located downtown)
- Regent University (5.7 miles from downtown)
- Virginia Wesleyan College (8.4 miles from downtown)
Largest Schools Near Chesapeake, Virginia
The size of a school's student population can impact students' education decisions if they have a preference towards a smaller-scale or big college experience. Schools with thousands of students could have more extracurricular programs and other campus activities than those with a very small student body. The largest schools near Chesapeake are mostly a mix of 2-year and 4-year public institutions.
- Tidewater Community College (27,646 students)
- Old Dominion University (24,932 students)
- ECPI University (10,932 students)
- Thomas Nelson Community College (10,436 students)
- Norfolk State University (6,027 students)
Lowest Net Price
Many students need to consider the price of a school when searching for a potential match. The NCES calculates the net price of an institution by subtracting the average amount of financial aid for a full-time undergrad from the total cost of attendance. For 2014-2015, a couple of community colleges had the lowest net prices for traditional schools in the area.
- Tidewater Community College ($6,745)
- Thomas Nelson Community College ($7,276)
- Norfolk State University ($13,468)
- Bryant & Stratton College-Hampton ($15,021)
- Old Dominion University ($15,236)
Highest Graduation Rate
To get an indication of a school's educational quality, it's worth checking into its graduation rate. The NCES collects graduation data for full-time undergraduate students who began working towards their first degree or certificate in the fall of 2009 (at 4-year schools) or fall 2012 (at 2-year schools) and completed their degree within 150% of the normal time. Based on this information, the following traditional schools have some of the highest graduation rates for the area in 2015.
- Centura College-Virginia Beach (79% graduation rate)
- Centura College-Chesapeake (79% graduation rate)
- Advanced Technology Institute (75% graduation rate)
- Hampton University (65% graduation rate)
- Everest College-Chesapeake (61% graduation rate)
The Chesapeake, VA, area offers a variety of public and private schools with a wide range of locations, sizes, price, and graduation rates for students to choose from.
