Norfolk is the educational hub of the region, home to Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University, Eastern Virginia Medical School, and Tidewater Community College. With five additional colleges or universities and two additional community colleges throughout Hampton Roads, combined with other specialized educational institutions, these schools provide a variety of courses, locations, and traditions to suit a wide range of people. The educational programs in the Hampton Roads region, especially Norfolk, contribute to the development of a highly-skilled talent pool that benefits all types of businesses in Norfolk, VA.
In total, there are over 67,000 full-time equivalent students enrolled at all eleven higher education institutions in the metropolitan area (four-year public, four-year private, and two-year public). Half of all full-time equivalent students enrolled at four-year institutions in the metropolitan area attend one of the four-year institutions in Norfolk (ODU, NSU, and EVMS).
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Norfolk Higher Education Institutions
EASTERN VIRGINIA MEDICAL SCHOOL (EVMS)
Annual economic impact reported in 2017 was $1.2 Billion, up 21.4% from 2012. 9,208 applicants for 564 spots in the medical and health professions educational 2017-2018 programs.
OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY (ODU)
In the 2020-2021 Academic Year, almost 20,000 full-time equivalent students were enrolled at ODU. The university has rigorous academics and an energetic residential community in Norfolk. Additionally, ODU contributes nearly $2 billion annually to the regional economy. It established a downtown presence in 2019 with the opening of the ODU Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY (NSU)
NSU has a new strategic master plan for 2019-2025. A downtown incubator opened in April of 2019, the NSU Innovation Center. In the 2020-2021 Academic Year, there were nearly 5,000 full-time equivalent students enrolled at NSU.
TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE (TCC)
Tidewater Community College has campuses in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Portsmouth, along with seven regional centers and two cultural institutions. Of the 23 Virginia community colleges, TCC is the second largest. TCC is also a very popular choice among military-related students, who make up about one-third of TCC’s enrollment.
