Norfolk Christian Schools 2026 Admissions Guide

ADMISSIONS GUIDE 2026

ABOUT NORFOLK CHRISTIAN

History

Norfolk Christian was the sixth Christian school established in Virginia and is the oldest K-12 Christian school in Hampton Roads Founded in 1952, its purpose was to provide a school for Christian families that offered exceptional academics while reinforcing their Biblical values and beliefs. This commitment to academic excellence drove NCS to be one of the first Christian schools in the region to pursue and obtain accreditation. Our long legacy of academic and programmatic excellence, grounded in a Gospel-centered worldview, has made Norfolk Christian one of the most esteemed Christian schools in the country, and a model to many in the world of Christian education..

Mission

It is the mission of Norfolk Christian Schools to equip students spiritually, intellectually and physically to love God and serve Him as Christ’s Ambassadors in the world

Student Body Statistics

Number of Students: 765

Girls: 52% Boys: 48%

Diversity: 26%

Total Faculty - Student Ratio: 9:1

Home Cities: 11

Home Churches: 176

Accreditation

Norfolk Christian is one of the few K-12 Christian schools in the state of Virginia to earn accreditation with the Virginia Association of Independent Schools VAIS requires a rigorous accreditation process which examines programming, curriculum, classroom techniques, faculty, and leadership to ensure the highest level of excellence

We are also honored to be one of the earliest schools offered Member of Council status with the faith-based Council on Educational Standards and Accountability. CESA is a national organization whose mission is “ …to hold accountable Christian schools that aspire to superlative academic standards and institutional best practices ” NCS remains the only school in Virginia with CESA membership

Latest Accreditation Findings

Our most recent Accreditation Reviews praised many aspects of NCS. Major comments were:

VAIS Commendations (2023)

* Unusually strong mission commitment

* Teachers’ genuine love for students drives student success and happiness

* Exceptionally kind, polite, engaging students

* Admirable commitment to devising the best learning path for each child

* Warm, inviting atmosphere where students are known and deeply cared for

CESA Highly Commended (2025)

* Clarity on Distinctly Christian Mission

* Strong Leadership from Board and Head

* Strength in Teaching and Learning, students feel cared for by their teachers

* Warm and Welcoming Environment with a strong sense of community and focus on Christ

ADMISSIONS STANDARDS

What We’re Looking For

NCS exists to provide a top-tier, college-preparatory education from a Christ-centered worldview. Biblical values are our foundation and are integrated into every activity.

With that in mind, we consider students and families for admission who are committed to partnering in a Biblically-centered education. Admission is based on prior academic performance, work ethic, testing, demonstrated Christian character, and a clear desire to attend

Spiritual Behavioral

*At least one parent must be a professing believer in Jesus Christ, provide a written testimony of his or her relationship with Him and be committed to a lifestyle in agreement with our Statement of Faith.

*Active Church Community Involvement form should attest to at least one parent's regular attendance and commitment in a local church that teaches in agreement with our Statement of Faith

Academic

*Applicant transcripts and testing should show at least average to above average understanding of grade level material and a desire to work to the best of their abilities

*Teacher evaluations should show that applicants can succeed independently in a traditional classroom setting.

*Teacher recommendations should testify to a student’s willingness to exhibit Godly character and have a positive influence on the classroom environment

*Applicants must be free of disciplinary action resulting in suspension or withdrawal within the last calendar year

*Students and parents must be in good standing with previous schools and not have exhibited disruptive behavior

Financial

Financial

*Families coming from another private school must be in good financial standing and have fulfilled their obligations before their applications will be considered

*Need-based financial aid is available each school year for full-time K-12 students Aid is not available for preschool.

Norfolk Christian Schools Statement of Faith

There is one God eternally existing in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit

The Holy Scriptures are verbally inspired by God and are our only infallible rule of faith and practice. Jesus Christ died, shedding his blood for our sins, and was bodily raised from the dead for our justification. He will return visibly and bodily with power and great glory. Man is by nature and practice a sinner separated from God and can become God’s child only by faith in Jesus Christ and submission to the will of God as revealed in the gospel Those who are thus born into God’s family have eternal life, and those who are not remain in spiritual death and will be separated from God forever in hell The Holy Spirit lives in the believer and enables him to walk in purity of life and submission to the will of God. All believers are united in the body of Christ.

How to Apply APPLYING FOR ADMISSION

Upload all items requested in your Checklist

Please note applications cannot be considered until all items in Checklist have been received

Financial Aid

To be considered for Financial Aid, families must first submit applications for Admission Our third-party vendor does not consider Aid applications without a verified application for enrollment

Please ensure that all documents are uploaded as requested on the FA application.

For further assistance, please contact financialaid@norfolkchristian org

FAST FACTS

Three Campuses

State of the Art Facilities

Norfolk Christian’s Upper School campus is home to state-of-the-art athletic, academic, and community spaces. Added in 2017, Moore Family Field is the only turf field in Southeast Virginia with organic infill, and is a sought-after venue for community and collegiate events after school hours The Smith Gym is one of the largest gyms in Tidewater and is a frequent host for state and conference tournaments An ongoing renovation on our waterfront brought the Sue Royster Birding and Boat Dock pier in 2025, along with an outdoor classroom and new recreational space that has dramatically changed our student experience. Future phases will create a sustainable living shoreline, an amphitheater, and additional spaces for student leisure and learning.

NCS operates out of three campuses: two Lower Schools in Norfolk and Virginia Beach serving children in Pre-K3 through Grade 5, and an Upper School in Norfolk with separate divisions for Middle School (6 - 8) and High School (9 - 12)

Highly Trained Faculty

All Norfolk Christian teachers hold four-year degrees in education or in their specialty area of teaching. Over 60% of our faculty carries one or more advanced degrees.

Transportation

Optional transportation is offered from bus stops in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, including a bus that runs from our Virginia Beach Lower School to Norfolk and back each day for families with students at multiple campuses

DAILY ROUTINE - LOWER SCHOOLS

School Day Hours

Full Day

Half Day Preschool

Extended School Day Care

Additional Fee assessed per student per day

Morning: 6:45 am - 7:45 am

Afternoon: 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Lunch

Norfolk Christian's Executive Chef and kitchen staff prepare optional meals for all NCS campuses, which students may purchase for an additional fee. Lower School students may order ahead from a menu and hot lunches are delivered to their campuses daily Milk is available daily for every student

Schedule and Resources

Each class begins the day with a Morning Meeting to intentionally foster community and allow each child to be seen, heard, and loved. Small group instruction throughout the day at all levels meets the needs of diverse learners, and students' learning is amplified through collaborative experiences. Beyond core content, students participate in Chapel, lunch, recess, and enrichment classes Students in grades 4 and 5 choose expanded enrichment classes through an elective model

Christian Deeper Learning

Through our CDL framework, students ask big questions about real challenges for God’s people and His kingdom They integrate their learning across disciplines to find solutions they can implement with classmates to impact people locally and across the globe Service is a vital component of the Lower School experience.

DAILY ROUTINE - UPPER SCHOOL

School Day Hours

EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES

Lower School Extra-Curricular Activities

Both Lower Schools offer an extensive variety of afterschool programs to help students expand their knowledge and skills and develop new hobbies. These include fundamentals training in multiple sports, fine arts activities, science and technology pursuits, and special interests like dance

Upper School Athletics

Competitive athletics begin in Middle School Upper School sports offered include:

• Baseball

• Boys & Girls Basketball

• Cheerleading

• Competitive Cheer

• Cross Country

• Field Hockey

• Football

• Golf

• Indoor Track

• Boys & Girls Lacrosse

• Boys & Girls Soccer

• Softball

• Swimming

• Girls Tennis

• Track & Field

• Boys & Girls Volleyball

• Wrestling

Upper School Student Life

Our Middle and High Schools are filled with excitement long after the school day ends. From clubs, athletics, and fine arts, to mission and service trips, school dances, and SCA spirit activities, there is always something happening to build Ambassador community. Homecoming and Prom are highlights of the year, while playing and cheering in the annual Powder Puff game is a legendary rite of passage for upperclassmen Along with the fun, a variety of small group Bible studies and prayer groups allow students to challenge each other and grow deeper in their faith

COLLEGE ACCEPTANCES 2020 - 2025

Abilene Christian University

AMDA College of the Performing Arts, Los Angeles

American University

Appalachian State University

Arizona State University

Auburn University

Barton College

Baylor University

Belmont University

Berry College

Binghamton University

Bluefield University

Bridgewater College

Boston College

Boston University

California College of the Arts

Calvin University

Campbell University

The Catholic University of America

Cedarville University

Charleston-Southern University

Chowan University

Christopher Newport University

Clark Atlanta University

Clemson University

Coastal Carolina University

College of Charleston

College of the Holy Cross

College of the Ozarks

The College of William & Mary

Colorado State University

Columbia College Chicago

Coppin State University

Covenant College

Dalhousie University

Dallas Baptist University

Dallas College

Drexel University

Duke University

Duquesne University

Eastern Mennonite University

Elon University

Embry-Riddle University

Emerson College

Emory University

Emory & Henry College

Ferrum College

Florida Institute of Technology

Florida-Southern College

Fordham University

Geneva College

George Mason University

The George Washington University

Georgetown College

Georgetown University

Georgia Institute of Technology

Gordon College

Grand Canyon University

Hampden-Sydney College

Hampton University

High Point University

Hofstra University

Houston Baptist University

Howard University

Indiana University

Indiana State University

Jacksonville University

James Madison University

John Brown University

Johns Hopkins University

Lancaster Bible College

Lees-McRae College

Liberty University

Limestone University

Longwood University

Louisiana State University

Loyola University Chicago

The King’s College (NYC)

Mary Baldwin University

Maryland Inst College of Art

Marymount University

Messiah College

Methodist University

Miami University

Michigan State University

Mid-Atlantic Christian University

Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design

Moore College of Art & Design

Morgan State University

Mount St Mary’s University

Newberry College

New York University

Nevada State University

Norfolk State University

North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina Central University

North Carolina State University

Northeastern University

Northern Arizona University

The Ohio State University

Old Dominion University

Olivet Nazarene University

Pace University

Palm Beach Atlantic University

Patrick Henry College

The Pennsylvania State University

Pepperdine University

Pfeiffer University

Pratt Institute

Purdue University

Queen’s University of Charlotte

Queensland University of Technology

Radford University

Randolph-Macon College

Regent University

Roanoke College

Rollins College

Saint Francis University

Saint Louis University

Salisbury University

Savannah College of Art & Design

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

School of Visual Arts

Sewanee: The University of the South

Shenandoah University

Shorter University

Sierra Nevada University

Southeastern University

Southeastern Oklahoma State University

Southern Methodist University

Spelman College

Stanford University

SUNY: Binghamton University

SUNY: Brockport University

SUNY: Maritime College

SUNY: Stony Brook University

SUNY: University at Buffalo

Syracuse University

Taylor University

Texas A & M University

Texas Christian University

Tuskegee University

Union University

United States Coast Guard Academy

United States Naval Academy

The University of Alabama

University of Arizona

University of British Columbia

University of California, Davis

University of California, Irvine

University of California, San Diego

University of California, Santa Barbara

University of Chicago

University of Cincinnati

University of Colorado

University of Delaware

University of Denver

University of Georgia

University of Florida

University of Illinois, Chicago

University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign

University of Iowa

University of Kansas

University of Kentucky

University of Mary Washington

University of Maryland

University of Massachusetts

University of Melbourne

University of Miami

University of Michigan

University of Minnesota

University of Mississippi

University of New Mexico

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington

University of Notre Dame

University of the Pacific

University of Pittsburgh

University of Richmond

University of Rochester

University of South Carolina

Wake Forest University

Washington & Lee University

Washington University in St Louis

Waynesburg University

West Virginia University

Wheaton College

Wichita State University

William Peace University

Wilson College

Wingate University

Wofford College

Xavier University

York College of Pennsylvania

University of South Florida

University of Southern California

University of Tennessee

University of Texas at Austin

University of Texas, Dallas

University of Texas, Tyler

University of Toronto

University of Vermont

University of Virginia

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin

Vanderbilt University

Villanova University

Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Military Institute

Virginia Tech

Virginia State University

Virginia Wesleyan College

Virginia University of Lynchburg

EARLY CHILDHOOD

TUITION & FEES 2026 -

LOWER SCHOOL

UPPER SCHOOL

*Tuition includes textbooks, classroom resources and activities, class retreats, local field trips, and graduation. Upper School tuition includes daily hot lunch selection for grades 6-12.

Fine Arts performance groups and athletic teams may require the purchase of additional uniforms One yearbook per family is provided at no cost; additional yearbooks may be ordered through February 1

ACADEMIC CALENDAR 2026 -