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Bluefield University

Regional university

Bluefield University

Bluefield, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $25,573 a year

Median debt at graduation: $21,855 (all students)

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

Academic Excellence

C+Academic Excellence: C+ (grade C+): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Solid
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.18%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.61%
  • 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.14 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,767

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$25,807
$30,001–$48,000$25,454
$48,001–$75,000$25,732
$75,001–$110,000$25,374
Over $110,000$25,430

Full cost of attendance before aid: $42,539 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)
694
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 56% · Women 44%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
43%
Total students989
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$25,573
Cost of attendance (per year)$42,539
Median federal debt at graduation$21,855
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
18%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
43%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
43%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
50%
First-year retention61%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$48,896
Admission rate59%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
No application fee
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $732 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.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$91,278
Business administration$63,715
Criminal justice$56,811
Human services$43,789
Kinesiology and exercise science$41,595

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Accounting, Arts management, Biology, Business (general), Chemistry, Communication studies, Computing and information science, English, Entrepreneurship, Fine arts, Graphic communications, History, Information technology, Interdisciplinary studies, Leisure and Recreational Activities, Management information systems, Mathematics, Music, Other philosophy and religious studies, Other psychology, Pastoral counseling, Psychology, Religious studies, Secondary education, Security science, Social sciences, Special education, Teacher education, Theatre.

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
Public administration and social service19%
Criminal justice and security16%
Parks, recreation and fitness13%
Business12%
Health professions10%

Campus life

School colors
SettingTown
Part-time undergraduates10%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older15%
On-campus room and board (per year)$9,480
SportsNAIA · Appalachian Athletic Conference
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member14 to 1
Faculty who are full-time100%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$7,741IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 61% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceRoanoke–Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA)About 70 miles away · about 2 hours 10 minutes by car
Nearest major airportCharlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)About 141 miles away
Town population4,979Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreWinston-SalemAbout 96 miles away · about 2 hours 20 minutes by car
Typical weather31°F in January · 70°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Bluefield, WV

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
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.700.08
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 Bluefield University’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 Bluefield University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $25,573 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 Bluefield University?
Bluefield University admitted 59% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Bluefield University’s graduates do?
18% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $48,896; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,855.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 231554
  • Carnegie classification: Master's university (medium programs)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Baptist
  • Report an error or a newer source
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