Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of Virginia, United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city in Virginia, fifth-most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, ninth-most populous city in the Southeast and the 42nd-most populous city in the U.S. Located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia Beach is the largest city in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area which includes 6 other cities. This area, sometimes referred to as "America's First Region", also includes the independent cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as other smaller cities, counties, and towns of Hampton Roads.
Old Dominion University (ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. Established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, Old Dominion is one of the largest universities in Virginia with an enrollment of 23,494 students for the 2023 academic year. The university also enrolls over 600 international students from 99 countries. Its main campus covers 250 acres (1.0 km2) straddling the city neighborhoods of Larchmont, Highland Park, and Lambert's Point, approximately five miles (8.0 km) north of Downtown Norfolk along the Elizabeth River.
Norfolk State University (NSU) is a public historically black university in Norfolk, Virginia. It is a member of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Virginia High-Tech Partnership.
Regent University is a private Christian university in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It was founded by Pat Robertson in 1977 as Christian Broadcasting Network University and changed its name to Regent University in 1990. Regent offers on-campus programs as well as distance education. Regent offers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in over 70 courses of study. The university is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Trinity International University (TIU) is an evangelical Christian university headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. It comprises Trinity College, Trinity Graduate School, a theological seminary, a law school, and a camp called Timber-lee. The university also maintains campuses in North Lauderdale, Florida & Miami, Florida; the camp is located in East Troy, Wisconsin. TIU is the only university affiliated with Evangelical Free Church of America in the United States and enrolls about 2,700 students. On February 17, 2023, TIU announced it was moving the undergraduate program to online modalities only and closed the residential campus at the end of the Spring 2023 semester.
Bluefield State University is a public historically black university (HBCU) in Bluefield, West Virginia. Despite being an HBCU, Bluefield's undergraduate student body is now over 80% white. The university is part of West Virginia's public university education system.
Norfolk Academy (NA) is an independent co-educational day school in Norfolk, Virginia. Chartered in 1728, it is the oldest private school in Virginia and the eighth oldest school in the United States. In 1966, Norfolk Academy merged with Country Day School for Girls in Virginia Beach, Virginia to create the current co-educational school. It serves students in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, and Suffolk.
Norfolk Collegiate is a coeducational independent day school in Norfolk, Virginia for students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Norfolk Collegiate is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS). It's also a member of the Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools, which includes 10 private schools from the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, as well as a member of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association.
Life Pacific University (LPU) is a private Christian Bible college endorsed by the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel and located in San Dimas, California. LPU serves as the denomination's flagship institution for higher education.
Hope International University is a private Christian university in Fullerton, California. It enrolls around 1,140 students. While Hope is non-denominational, it has strong ties to the Restoration Movement and the Christian churches and churches of Christ. Hope is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Hope International University's Fullerton campus sits adjacent to California State University, Fullerton, with which it has contract programs. Enrollment stands at just under 1,200 students.
San Diego Christian College (SDCC) is a private, evangelical college in Santee, California, a suburb of San Diego. Founded in 1970, SDCC offers traditional, non-traditional, and graduate programs.
The North Coast Section (NCS) is a part of the California Interscholastic Federation, governing the eastern portion of the San Francisco Bay Area, up along the northern coast of the state of California, from Fremont in the south to Crescent City in the north. It also governs the private schools in the city of Oakland. Due to this split in regions, the section is split in two for some championships, including football.
Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school in Virginia Beach, Virginia, founded as Norfolk Catholic High School in 1949 and moved to Virginia Beach in 1993. In 2003, the school was renamed in honor of Walter Francis Sullivan, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Richmond and a significant benefactor during the school's move to Virginia Beach. The Barry Robinson Theater and Fine Arts Center opened that same year. In 2019, the school was renamed Catholic High School amid direction that all diocesan institutions, schools and parish buildings must "no longer be named after an individual bishop, pastor, founder or individual".
Webber International University is a private university in Babson Park, Florida.
The Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools (TCIS) is a 10-team athletic conference in the Tidewater region of Virginia. Prior to the 2004 school year, the TCIS had tournaments for JV and Middle School teams as well as Varsity. Now, the TCIS only holds tournaments for Varsity teams.
Oakcrest School is an independent liberal arts school for girls grades 6–12 located in Vienna, Virginia. It is guided by the teachings of the Catholic Church and the spirituality of Opus Dei. In 2023, Niche ranked Oakcrest School 794 out of 4,990 private schools in the United States, making it the 32nd best in Virginia.
Booker T. Washington High School, also known as Booker T,BTW or the Academy Of Visual and Performing Arts, is a public high school located in Norfolk, Virginia. It is administered by Norfolk Public Schools system. The school colors are maroon, white and gold. The school is called “The Mighty Booker T” and the “Fighting Bookers" in Norfolk, Virginia.
Cape Henry Collegiate is a private, college-preparatory, coeducational, day school located in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The Old Dominion Monarchs football program represents Old Dominion University in U.S. college football. The first iteration of the team created in 1930 was known as the William & Mary Norfolk Division Braves. Founded in 2009, the current Monarchs team competed as an FCS independent for their first two seasons. In the 2011 season, they joined the Colonial Athletic Association and added conference games to their schedule, playing there until joining the Conference USA of the FBS in 2014. They joined the Sun Belt Conference in 2022.
Virginia Association of Independent Schools (VAIS) is a non-profit, voluntary membership association of schools within the state of Virginia. The VAIS is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Prior to its establishment in Charlottesville, Virginia on April 30, 1973, a small number of independent schools’ headmasters known as “The Baker’s Dozen” met informally, teachers at their independent schools held conferences, and development coordinators hosted their own meetings to discuss commonly held educational issues. While the Virginia State Department of Education accredits independent and other nonpublic pre-school, elementary and secondary schools via the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE), the VAIS is a service organization that promotes educational, ethical and professional excellence.
