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Bethany College: Pendleton Heights at Bethany College
Photo: Nyttend, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Liberal arts college

Bethany College

Bethany, WV · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $18,605 a year

Median debt at graduation: $27,000 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.47%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.54%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.12 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$5,782

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$14,315
$30,001–$48,000$15,239
$48,001–$75,000$17,641
$75,001–$110,000$22,434
Over $110,000$27,214

Full cost of attendance before aid: $50,758 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
645
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 59% · Women 41%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
34%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
80%
Total students671
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$18,605
Cost of attendance (per year)$50,758
Median federal debt at graduation$27,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
47%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
29%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
30%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
53%
First-year retention54%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$44,512
Admission rate59%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $757 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants51%

Value: Good (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business18%
Education15%
Psychology14%
Communication9%
Social sciences9%

Campus life

School colors
SettingRural
Part-time undergraduates0%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older1%
On-campus room and board (per year)$13,210
SportsNCAA Division III · Presidents' Athletic Conference
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member12 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 14%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time100%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$77,223IPEDS, 2023, per student
Nearest airport with airline servicePittsburgh International Airport (PIT)About 26 miles away · about 1 hour 10 minutes by car
Town population1,039Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or morePittsburghAbout 35 miles away · about 1 hour 20 minutes by car
Typical weather30°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Wheeling Ohio Co Airport, WV, about 5 miles away

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape4.690.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault1.560.04
Burglary7.810.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Bethany College’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Bethany College cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $18,605 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Bethany College?
Bethany College admitted 59% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Bethany College’s graduates do?
47% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $44,512; the median federal debt at graduation is $27,000.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 237181
  • Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
  • Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
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  • Respond as this school

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