A Parent’s Complete Guide to Old Dominion University (2026-2027)
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Jump to
- What is the one thing every Old Dominion University parent needs to know before move-in?
- Quick Facts for Old Dominion University Families
- A Note on Monarchs Identity and Financial Aid
- Getting to Norfolk
- What do parents need to know about Old Dominion University move-in day 2026?
- The Residence Halls: Where Your Student Might Live
- How much does Old Dominion University cost? Tuition, financial aid, and scholarships for 2026-27
- Norfolk and Hampton Roads: What Parents Need to Know
- When is Old Dominion University Family Weekend 2026 and how do parents plan for it?
- How can parents support their Old Dominion University student’s mental health?
- Who do Old Dominion University parents contact? Essential numbers and websites for families
- ODU’s Academic Strengths
- Getting Your Student’s Stuff Home Between Semesters
- You Are an ODU Monarchs Family Now
- Old Dominion University academic calendar 2026-2027: dates families need
- What is Old Dominion University’s graduation rate?
- What to Pack for Old Dominion University
What is the one thing every Old Dominion University parent needs to know before move-in?
Old Dominion University move-in is Move-In Day is Thursday, August 20, 2026, at Chartway Arena.
Fall 2026 classes begin Monday, August 24, 2026.
Classes begin Monday, August 24. Old Dominion has a fall break October 10 to 13.
Verified against the official housing and academic calendar pages in July 2026. Move-in times are usually assigned individually, so confirm your student’s slot before booking travel.
Old Dominion University was founded in 1930 in Norfolk, Virginia, as a division of the College of William and Mary serving the Hampton Roads region, and became an independent university in 1962.
In the 96 years since its founding, ODU has grown into a doctoral research university of approximately 23,000 students serving the Hampton Roads metropolitan area (approximately 1.8 million people, the largest metropolitan area in Virginia) and the broader southeastern Virginia region.
Norfolk is a city of approximately 240,000 people on the southern shore of Hampton Roads, home to Naval Station Norfolk (the largest naval installation in the world, employing approximately 100,000 military and civilian personnel), the Port of Virginia (one of the busiest container ports on the East Coast), and the Chrysler Museum of Art (one of the most significant regional art museums in the South, with a world-class glass collection and free general admission). The combination of naval heritage, maritime commerce, and arts and cultural institutions creates a city character that is distinctly Norfolk in ways that directly shape the ODU experience.
The ODU campus sits in the Ghent neighborhood of Norfolk, one of the city’s most distinctive residential and commercial neighborhoods, with arts galleries, independent restaurants, and the walkable character of one of Norfolk’s most vibrant communities directly adjacent to the campus.
ODU’s maritime-focused research programs, including the Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography, the Virginia Coastal Policy Center, and the Hampton Roads Adaptation Forum (which addresses sea level rise and coastal resilience in one of the most vulnerable coastal metropolitan areas in the United States), reflect the institution’s investment in the specific environmental and maritime challenges of its location.
Quick Facts for Old Dominion University Families
| Family Weekend | Old Dominion Family Weekend 2026 is September 18 to 20, 2026. |
| Location | Norfolk, VA 23529 |
| Enrollment | ~23,000 students |
| Type | Public Research University, Sun Belt Conference |
| In-State Tuition (2026-27) | ~$11,500/year (verify at odu.edu) |
| Out-of-State Tuition (2026-27) | ~$29,000/year (verify at odu.edu) |
| Room and Board | ~$12,000-$14,000/year (verify at odu.edu) |
| Total Cost (in-state) | ~$26,000-$28,000/year (verify at odu.edu) |
| Total Cost (out-of-state) | ~$44,000-$46,000/year (verify at odu.edu) |
| Graduation Rate | ~53% (6-year) |
| Median Earnings (10 years post-grad) | ~$44,000 (verify at odu.edu) |
| Nearest Airport | ORF (Norfolk International, 10 minutes) |
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A Note on Monarchs Identity and Financial Aid
ODU’s athletic teams are the Monarchs, competing in the Sun Belt Conference at the Division I level. The colors are Chesapeake blue and silver. The Monarchs compete in the full range of Division I sports, with football at S.B. Ballard Stadium (a 22,000-seat on-campus facility) and the full range of Sun Belt Conference competition.
Financial aid at ODU is primarily need-based and merit-based through federal, Virginia state, and institutional programs. Virginia residents should verify state aid eligibility. Contact odu.edu/financial-aid for current programs.
Getting to Norfolk
Norfolk International Airport (ORF) is approximately 10 minutes from the ODU campus via I-264 east, served by American, Delta, United, and Southwest from major East Coast and national hub markets. ORF is the most convenient gateway for ODU families.
Richmond International Airport (RIC) is approximately 100 miles northwest via I-64, and Washington Dulles (IAD) is approximately 225 miles north, with both providing more comprehensive domestic connections for families who prefer those routings and are willing to drive.
For families driving, I-64 connects Norfolk to Richmond (100 miles northwest) and the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel connects to Hampton, Newport News, and points north. I-264 connects downtown Norfolk to the ODU campus area.
What do parents need to know about Old Dominion University move-in day 2026?
ODU’s fall move-in runs in mid-to-late August. Check odu.edu/housing for your student’s building and move-in window. Norfolk in mid-August is hot and humid in the Chesapeake Bay coastal way: temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s, the humidity of the Hampton Roads maritime environment substantial, and the campus neighborhood in full summer green.
The September hurricane season is a practical awareness item for families of Norfolk students: tropical weather events can affect the Hampton Roads area from late August through October, and families should ensure their students understand the emergency preparedness protocols.
ODU runs organized move-in with residential life staff and building-specific unloading areas.
Practical notes:
- Ship boxes ahead. ODU holds packages.
- After unloading, the Ghent neighborhood’s restaurants and the Colley Avenue commercial corridor provide first-night dining options within walking distance of the ODU campus.
The Residence Halls: Where Your Student Might Live
ODU’s residential system provides on-campus housing for approximately 4,500 students, with freshmen encouraged to live on campus.
Powhatan Dorm and Rogers Hall are among the primary freshman residence halls, housing incoming students in traditional double-room configurations.
The Whitehurst and Rogers area residence halls and the upperclass residential options provide housing for continuing students.
The ODU dining program operates through multiple campus dining locations.
How much does Old Dominion University cost? Tuition, financial aid, and scholarships for 2026-27
Contact odu.edu/financial-aid for current need-based, merit-based, and institutional aid programs.
| Expense | Cost |
|---|---|
| In-State Tuition and Fees | ~$11,500 (verify at odu.edu) |
| Out-of-State Tuition and Fees | ~$29,000 (verify at odu.edu) |
| Room and Board | ~$12,000-$14,000 (verify at odu.edu) |
| Books and Supplies | ~$1,000 (verify at odu.edu) |
| Personal and Transportation | ~$3,000 (verify at odu.edu) |
| Estimated Total In-State (before aid) | ~$27,500-$29,500 (verify at odu.edu) |
| Estimated Total Out-of-State (before aid) | ~$45,000-$47,000 (verify at odu.edu) |
Contact odu.edu/financial-aid for current need-based, merit-based, and institutional aid programs.
If there is a gap between aid and costs, SoFi is consistently competitive on private loan rates. Always work with ODU’s financial aid office first.
FAFSA guide for ODU families Full college cost planning guide
Norfolk and Hampton Roads: What Parents Need to Know
The Hampton Roads metropolitan area provides one of the richest parent visit environments of any regional university in Virginia, with world-class cultural institutions, maritime heritage sites, Atlantic Ocean beaches, and the historic Williamsburg corridor all within driving distance.
The Chrysler Museum of Art (Mowbray Arch, Norfolk, free general admission) is one of the most significant art museums in the South, with a permanent collection of more than 50,000 objects and a world-renowned glass collection (including works by Tiffany, Chihuly, and the ancient glass from Mesopotamia and Rome that the Chrysler collection has accumulated since the 1940s). The Chrysler is a walk or short drive from the ODU campus and should be on every parent visit itinerary.
The Nauticus maritime museum (One Waterside Drive, Norfolk) includes the Battleship Wisconsin (a decommissioned Iowa-class battleship, permanently moored at Nauticus) and exhibits on naval history and maritime science that reflect Norfolk’s character as the world’s largest naval installation city.
The Ghent neighborhood directly adjacent to the ODU campus is one of Norfolk’s most vibrant commercial districts, with independent restaurants (Colley Avenue, Granby Street), coffee shops, galleries, and the character of a walkable urban neighborhood that benefits both from the university’s proximity and from the broader Norfolk arts community.
Virginia Beach is approximately 20 minutes east of the ODU campus via I-264, with the Atlantic Ocean beaches, the Virginia Beach Boardwalk (the longest oceanfront walkway in the world, 3 miles), and the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center.
Colonial Williamsburg is approximately 60 miles northwest of Norfolk via I-64, providing access to the largest living history museum in the United States.
For parent visit dining: Saltine (downtown Norfolk, oysters and seafood, consistently celebrated), The Bier Garden (Granby Street, excellent craft beer and casual food in a Ghent institution), and the Colley Avenue restaurant corridor adjacent to campus.
When is Old Dominion University Family Weekend 2026 and how do parents plan for it?
Old Dominion Family Weekend 2026 is September 18 to 20, 2026.
Confirm the schedule and registration on the official family weekend page. Hotels near campus sell out early, so book as soon as dates are confirmed.
Old Dominion University refunds tuition on a declining schedule after the semester starts, so timing a withdrawal matters.
There is no gradual decline, just two hard steps down to zero within roughly the first two and a half weeks. The refund is triggered only by an official withdrawal filed with the Registrar, simply stopping attendance does not start the refund clock.
Refund schedule: for Fall 2026 (Aug 24 to Dec 11): 100% refund if formally withdrawn by September 2, 2026, 50% if withdrawn by September 9, 2026, 0% starting September 10. Eight-week sessions have their own all-or-nothing cutoffs with no 50% tier. Confirmed via the official Old Dominion University refund policy page. Policies and dates change every term, so verify directly before making a decision.
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Most colleges do not refund 100% of tuition once the semester starts.
GradGuard Tuition Insurance can reimburse tuition, housing, and fees if a covered illness, injury, mental health condition, or other covered reason forces a withdrawal during the term. Plans must be purchased before the semester begins.
Freshmen may bring a car to Old Dominion, no special restriction.
Incoming freshman residents are explicitly allowed to have a car with a valid permit, no extra hurdle beyond what any resident needs. Since 2020 there is just one resident-permit class, not tiered by class year or hall.
Freshman permit cost: $380/year (fall + spring) or $200 for Fall only. Confirmed via the official Old Dominion parking page. Policies can change year to year, so verify before move-in.
ODU’s Homecoming and the Sun Belt Conference athletics schedule provide the primary athletics events for families. Check odu.edu/studentlife for current Family Weekend dates.
Hotel strategy: Norfolk has extensive hotel inventory at all price ranges. The Sheraton Norfolk Waterside, the Hilton Norfolk the Main, and the range of Ghent and downtown Norfolk hotels provide accessible family visit options. Book 2 to 3 weeks ahead for major weekends.
How can parents support their Old Dominion University student’s mental health?
ODU’s University Counseling Services provides individual therapy, group therapy, crisis support, and psychiatric referrals. The Hampton Roads military community presence creates specific mental health contexts for students with family members in active military service, including the anxiety associated with deployments and the specific mental health culture of military family communities.
The counseling center has programming that addresses these specific dynamics.
The hurricane and tropical weather vulnerability of the Norfolk area is a practical emergency preparedness matter that is also relevant to student mental health during late summer and fall storm seasons.
ODU mental health and health resources:
- University Counseling Services: contact via odu.edu/counselingservices
- Student Health Services: contact via odu.edu/health
- Crisis line: 988 (call or text, 24/7)
- Emergency: 911
Who do Old Dominion University parents contact? Essential numbers and websites for families
Verify all phone numbers and URLs at odu.edu before using, as contact information is subject to change.
- Student Affairs / Parent Resources: contact via odu.edu/studentaffairs
- Admission: contact via odu.edu/admissions
- Financial Aid: contact via odu.edu/financial-aid
- Housing: contact via odu.edu/housing
- University Counseling Services: contact via odu.edu/counselingservices
- Student Health Services: contact via odu.edu/health
- University Police (non-emergency): contact via odu.edu/police
- Registrar: contact via odu.edu/registrar
- Emergency: 911
ODU’s Academic Strengths
The Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology provides programs in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, and engineering management that reflect ODU’s position as the primary engineering education provider for the Hampton Roads defense, shipbuilding, and maritime technology industries.
The proximity to Naval Station Norfolk, Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding (the only designer and builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the United States), and the defense technology contractors of the Hampton Roads area creates internship and employment connections that are directly relevant to ODU engineering graduates.
The Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography conducts research on sea level rise, coastal erosion, and ocean circulation that is directly relevant to Hampton Roads, one of the most sea-level-rise-vulnerable metropolitan areas in the United States. The ODU position as the primary research institution for Hampton Roads coastal resilience is a genuine contribution to the critical environmental challenges of the region.
The Strome College of Business provides accredited undergraduate and MBA programs with connections to the Hampton Roads business and defense contracting community. The health sciences programs, including nursing, physical therapy, and dental hygiene, reflect ODU’s investment in healthcare education for the regional healthcare workforce.
The College of Arts and Letters provides programs in communication and theatre arts, English, music, art, and the social sciences that reflect the full range of humanities education at a regional research university.
Getting Your Student’s Stuff Home Between Semesters
ORF airport (10 minutes from campus) provides the most convenient regional connections. The Virginia coastal climate means December travel is generally weather-unaffected. Storage Scholars specializes in student storage with residence hall pickup and delivery.
Full printable ODU dorm packing list
You Are an ODU Monarchs Family Now
The Chrysler Museum glass collection on a Family Weekend morning. The Battleship Wisconsin at Nauticus on the Norfolk waterfront. The Virginia Beach boardwalk 20 minutes east when the semester has ended for the week. The engineering research on sea level rise that is the most important environmental work being done in Hampton Roads.
Old Dominion has been the university of Hampton Roads since 1930, doing the engineering and the science and the arts education that the largest naval installation in the world, the largest port on the East Coast, and the most sea-level-rise-vulnerable major metropolitan area in the United States require. The Monarchs rule the waters.
Go Monarchs.
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Last updated: May 2026. Tuition, dates, and policies subject to change. Verify all time-sensitive information at odu.edu and odu.edu/housing.
Old Dominion University academic calendar 2026-2027: dates families need
These are the dates worth putting in your own calendar now, while flights and hotel rooms are still reasonable. Every date below was verified against Old Dominion University official sources in July 2026.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Fall classes begin | Monday, August 24, 2026 |
| Move-In Day | Thursday, August 20, 2026 |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 7, 2026 |
| Fall break | October 10 to 13, 2026 |
| Election Day | Tuesday, November 3, 2026 |
| Thanksgiving break | November 25 to 29, 2026 |
| Last day of classes | Friday, December 11, 2026 |
| Fall commencement | Saturday, December 12, 2026 |
| Spring classes begin | Monday, January 11, 2027 |
| MLK Day | Monday, January 18, 2027 |
| Spring break | March 8 to 14, 2027 |
| Last day of classes | Friday, May 7, 2027 |
| Commencement | May 7 and 8, 2027 |
Old Dominion’s residence halls run on nine-month contracts that close over winter break, except University Village, Nusbaum, and Powhatan Apartments, which stay open during all breaks. As of July 2026 the exact 2026-27 close and reopen dates were not yet posted.
Whether your student has to leave depends on which building they live in. Students in the apartment communities can stay; those in the closing halls need a plan. Confirm the exact dates in ODU’s Move-In Guide before booking travel.
Confirm current closure dates on the official housing calendar.
Universities do adjust these dates. Reconfirm on the official academic calendar before booking anything nonrefundable.
Where to stay near Old Dominion University
Hotels near campus fill up fast on move-in and Family Weekend. This live map shows places to stay near Old Dominion University. Drag the map or change the dates to fit your trip.
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What is Old Dominion University’s graduation rate?
Old Dominion University graduates 26.2% of students in four years; another 20.1 points finish within six. About 76.9% of first-year students return for sophomore year. Each bar is compared to the national average, marked by the vertical line.
22.8 pts below national
17.7 pts below national
4.1 pts below national
Here is how to read these numbers: the four-year and six-year rates show how many students finish on time and eventually, and retention shows how many return after the first year. Wherever your student lands, the habits that keep them on track matter most: a full, well-sequenced course load, an advisor meeting every term, and using campus support early. See why most students don’t graduate in four years and how to choose the right classes in the right order.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, most recent available data. National averages: NCES. Figures are for first-time, full-time bachelor’s-seeking students.
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What to Pack for Old Dominion University
Every dorm is different, but these are the items parents of Old Dominion University students buy most. Ship directly to campus and skip the trunk-stuffing stress.
Twin XL Bedding Set
Sheets, comforter, and pillowcases — buy before you arrive so the bed is ready day one.
Shower Caddy & Flip Flops
Shared bathrooms require these. Get a hanging caddy and waterproof sandals before move-in.
Surge Protector Power Strip
Most dorms allow 6-outlet surge protectors with USB ports. Check your school’s policy first.
Want the full list? See our complete college packing list →
Shipping to campus? Students get 6 months of Amazon Prime for Young Adults free, then half price on the student’s own account. Here is how it works.
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