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Last updated on November 4th, 2025

“Silicon Valley of the East.” That’s the moniker Virginia is earning, with 300,000+ tech professionals at work in the state, including AI experts in cyber, defense, and cloud computing. Eyeing a position with federal contractors? Use our directory of Virginia Master’s in AI programs to decide which university has the most relevant degree for your needs—most of them are technically-focused. Or browse through our guide to learn more about which schools will land you a high-paying job in the Northern Virginia (NoVA) area!

Artificial Intelligence Schools in Virginia

Although Virginia doesn’t offer as much choice as Texas or California, our VA directory of AI master’s degrees and graduate certificates features a number of prestigious R1 universities, including Virginia Tech and George Mason University. These schools have tight relationships with big names such as Amazon, Google, Northrop Grumman, and Boeing. Virginia universities also act as feeders to federal & defense jobs, making this state our top pick for cyber AI.

This is just a taste of what’s out there! At VCU, you’ll find a College of Engineering with a range of intriguing research centers, including a Cybersecurity Center and RAMs (Robotics, Autonomy, and Mechatronics) Research Team, as well as a School of Business with a Human-AI ColLab that’s addressing challenges in cyber, healthcare informatics, AI ethics, and digital transformation. At Hampton, there’s an AI & ML research presence in the School of Science and Amazon Robotics support for labs, faculty, and K-12 programming. At VSU, there’s a new Center for Responsible AI (CRAI) and the bonus of a $2M Thurgood Marshall College Fund award for AI-enabled digital transformation. And at NSU, there’s a dedicated Information Assurance Research, Education & Development Institute (IA-REDI) and an expanded Cybersecurity Complex. When it comes to AI, no university in Virginia is being left behind.

Online Master’s in Artificial Intelligence Programs in Virginia

As a rule, Virginia universities are pretty conservative when it comes to distance learning. Our VA directory only contains a few online master’s in AI degrees. If you are unable to commute to campus, here are two of the strongest options:

  • GMU: This 30-credit Online Master of Science in Computer Science (MSCS) features a dedicated focus area in Machine Learning. The 12-credit core will give you a thorough grounding in theoretical computer science courses, including credits in Analysis of Algorithms and an Introduction to Artificial Intelligence. After that, you can customize the curriculum with 18 credits of electives. And although it doesn’t feature a capstone, it’s backed by a school with great name recognition. So it could be a sensible pick for software developers & engineers who are seeking employer sponsorship.
  • ODU: ODU’s highly affordable Online Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics – Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning comes from its well-respected (and well-connected) School of Data Science. There’s an emphasis on project learning and a final capstone that tackles a real-world business, industry, or government challenge. One of the best things about this online AI graduate degree is the price. Virginia-based students pay less than $15k in baseline tuition costs. Out-of-state students pay less than $20k.

The Artificial Intelligence Landscape in Virginia

Thanks to its proximity to DC, Virginia is one of the best states in the USA for AI. You’ll usually find it in the top 10 of UMD-LinkUp AIMaps’s New AI Job Postings and the top 5 of states by net tech employment. Most of this activity is taking place in NoVA—in a Brookings Metro report on Mapping the AI Economy, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria area was identified as a Star Hub—but there are opportunities outside of the Dulles Technology Corridor. Here’s where we are seeing movement in Virginia’s AI economy.

  • NoVA & Data Center Alley: NoVA is the land of federal agencies, prime contractors, cloud work, healthcare, and data center activity. According to a 2025 UVA federal workforce report, more than 50% of federal workers live in NoVa and around 20% in Hampton Road. However, government jobs are also highly vulnerable to funding cuts. So AI professionals may have more luck pursuing security clearance and finding work with major federal contractors, including Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, Northrop Grumman, SAIC, CACI, General Dynamics/GDIT, MITRE, and RTX/Raytheon. All these companies have a vested stake in AI areas such as cyber, defense, intelligence, and military applications. We’ve already talked about GMU and Virginia Tech’s innovation campuses, but we want to point out that NoVA is home to Amazon HQ2, located in National Landing, the headquarters of Boeing and RTX in Arlington, and Google Reston. As a signal of AI demand, Google is partnering with the Commonwealth on AI upskilling initiatives and creating a new data center in Chesterfield County. And in 2024, Micron announced it was investing more than $2B into a new semiconductor facility in Manassas.
  • Norfolk & Hampton Roads: The story of AI in Norfolk & Hampton Roads is all about practical engineering and sector-anchored discoveries, including work in defense & autonomy, naval AI, port logistics, subsea robotics, and offshore wind & energy operations. The area is home to ODU, NATO ACT, and the Jefferson Lab, so there are plenty of very high-level federal projects. Plus there’s the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), the largest offshore wind project in the USA, and the Port of Virginia with its network of over 55 marine terminals (e.g. the semi-automated NIT) and logistics centers. We’ve mentioned ODU’s work in maritime autonomy, but we also want to note that HII, America’s largest military shipbuilding company, broke ground on an Unmanned Systems Center of Excellence in Hampton in 2020. If you’re interested in the water, this is the place to be.
  • Richmond: Unlike NoVA, artificial intelligence work in the Richmond area is much more concentrated on the private sector, including jobs in finance, retail, property data, and consulting. Major AI employers in the city include Capital One, CarMax, CoStar (which has been fluctuating in employment demands), and Deloitte. The engines behind the city’s AI activity are Henrico County’s data centers, which are concentrated in the White Oak Technology Park in Sandston. Tenants include Meta’s Henrico Data Center and Iron Mountain’s Richmond Data Centers.

Finally, if you’re interested in starting your own research-driven AI venture, pay attention to the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC). It has a developed a number of programs to fund & foster innovation, including Virginia Venture Partners (VVP), Virginia Invests, and the Lab-to Launch Initiative. The Launch initiative aims to double the annual number of startups coming from Virginia’s six R1 universities (GMU, ODU, UVA, VCU, Virginia Tech, and William & Mary) and create a standardized fast-track license agreement to commercialize university research.

Virginia Artificial Intelligence Resources

Tech professionals in Virginia are some of the most highly educated people in the USA, so the competition for AI jobs in NoVA (and beyond) will be challenging. You can get ahead of the game by starting your networking early. Here are some AI conferences & events, AI meetup groups, and AI research centers in Virginia that we recommend investigating. Don’t forget that you can also attend AI events & join groups in DC.

AI Events & Conferences in VA

AI Meetups & Networking in VA

AI University Research Centers in VA