Early Childhood Education Degree Programs in Virginia Beach, VA (2026)

Quick answer: The Virginia Beach metro employs about 650 kindergarten teachers (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and licensing is set at the state level, through your state educator licensure board for school positions, or your state early learning agency for child care settings.

Compare early childhood education programs enrolling now:

Licensing

Licensing is a state matter, not a city one. Two systems govern this field. Public school classrooms require a bachelor’s from a state-approved program, student teaching and the state teaching license. Child care and preschool settings run through the state early learning agency, where training hours, the CDA credential and degree tiers step up with each quality rating level.

See the Virginia licensing and pay overview for the statewide picture, and confirm current requirements with your state educator licensure board for school positions, or your state early learning agency for child care settings.

Schools Near You

Schools in our database near this area, ranked by BOC Score. The list favors schools with a related program on record, but program availability and delivery format change, so confirm directly with any school that it currently offers the program you want.

How we rank schools – graduation rate, graduate earnings, cost and retention. Advertising plays no part.

This page lists 10 schools within 194 miles, closest group first, then ordered by BOC Score with the highest at the top. 10 of them carry a score.

Location / proximity to this page
Defines the local group
Graduation rate how often students finish
30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry whether it paid off
25%
Average net price what students actually pay after aid; lower ranks higher
20%
Retention rate how many come back for year two
15%
Fully online availability whether you can study while working
10%

Scores come from IPEDS (2024) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are for all graduates of a school, not one program, so treat them as a signal about the institution rather than about this subject. Sponsored listings are paid placements and are labelled as such; they are separate from this ranking and never change it. Read the full methodology.

#1

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA 162.3 miles away BOC Score 86.2
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 95.5% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 14
  • Annual completions: 1002
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $91,448 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#2

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA 160.6 miles away BOC Score 81.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 68.6% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 28
  • Annual completions: 2376
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $78,425 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#3

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA 194.4 miles away BOC Score 77.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 80.3% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 413
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $70,627 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#4

Virginia Commonwealth University

Richmond, VA 95.9 miles away BOC Score 65.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 64.2% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 28
  • Annual completions: 1386
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $64,703 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#5

Longwood University

Farmville, VA 135.6 miles away BOC Score 61.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 61.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 2
  • Annual completions: 40
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $54,005 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#6

Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA 18.0 miles away BOC Score 57.9
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 45.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 25
  • Annual completions: 1428
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $64,472 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#7

Columbia College

Vienna, VA 165.3 miles away BOC Score 52.0
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 75.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 7
  • Annual completions: 118
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $29,040 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#8

Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA 178.3 miles away BOC Score 35.5
Tuition Contact school for pricing
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Key stats
  • Completion rate: 64.4% (College Scorecard)
  • Programs offered: 28
  • Annual completions: 4191
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $57,700 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#9

Regent University

Virginia Beach, VA 9.6 miles away BOC Score 34.6
Tuition $21,650 - $32,838
Contact
Key stats
  • Admission rate: 38.1%
  • Graduation rate: 55.6%
  • Programs offered: 15
  • Annual completions: 169
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $56,558 (College Scorecard)
  • Online programs available

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

#10

Bryant & Stratton College-Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach, VA 8.4 miles away BOC Score 23.5
Tuition $18,489 - $23,803
Contact
Key stats
  • Graduation rate: 26.2%
  • Programs offered: 12
  • Annual completions: 313
  • Median graduate earnings, 4 yrs after completing (all majors, not a single program): $43,374 (College Scorecard)

Source: ACCSC IPEDS College Scorecard

What Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education Earn in Virginia Beach

Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education in the Virginia Beach area earn a median $78,580 per year, above the national median of $62,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Early Childhood Education Pay in Virginia Beach, VA

MetricVirginia Beach metroVirginiaNational
Median annual wage$78,580$63,920$62,680
10th percentile$50,460$48,850$46,990
25th percentile$60,670$59,390$52,180
75th percentile$83,210$82,510$79,910
90th percentile$100,930$100,930$101,830
Employment6503,740108,870
Location quotient1.22-1.00

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Metro figures cover the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metropolitan statistical area.

What the Numbers Say About This Market

The Virginia Beach median of $78,580 is above the national median of $62,680, and above the Virginia statewide median of $63,920 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

The metro’s location quotient of 1.22 means kindergarten teachers are more concentrated here than in the average U.S. labor market (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Higher concentration generally means more employers competing for the same people, and an easier job change later.

Early childhood employment tracks families: districts, Head Start grantees and licensed centers hire everywhere, with density following population.

Other Virginia Metro Areas

Metro areaMedian annual wageEmployment
Richmond$61,300710
Roanoke$59,390200

Figures: BLS OEWS, May 2025.


Wage and employment figures describe the occupation as measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, not the graduates of any particular program, and individual outcomes may vary. Licensing rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible state board before enrolling.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do kindergarten teachers make in Virginia Beach?

The median annual wage for kindergarten teachers in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area is $78,580, above the national median of $62,680 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

How many kindergarten teachers work in the Virginia Beach area?

The Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area employs about 650 kindergarten teachers (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Do kindergarten teachers in Virginia Beach need a license?

Licensing is handled at state level rather than by city. Two systems govern this field. Public school classrooms require a bachelor's from a state-approved program, student teaching and the state teaching license. Child care and preschool settings run through the state early learning agency, where training hours, the CDA credential and degree tiers step up with each quality rating level. Confirm current requirements with your state educator licensure board for school positions, or your state early learning agency for child care settings.

Can I study early childhood education online from Virginia Beach?

The academic portion of these programs is widely available online for working adults, while labs, clinical hours or supervised field work are completed in person. Check that the program's accreditation satisfies your state educator licensure board for school positions, or your state early learning agency for child care settings.

Is Virginia Beach a better market than the rest of Virginia?

The Virginia Beach metro median is $78,580 against a statewide median of $63,920 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Compare that gap with the difference in living costs before treating it as a raise.

Sources

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 - Kindergarten Teachers, Except Special Education (SOC 25-2012), national, state and metropolitan estimates
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-34
  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook - education and licensing requirements

About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.