National university
#3 Best colleges in West VirginiaWest Virginia University
Morgantown, WV · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $15,634 a year
Median debt at graduation: $22,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Campus tour
The *REAL* WVU Campus Tour (Updated 2021) · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#76 of 690
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#109 of 681
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#156 of 682
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#252 of 1,046
In West Virginia
- Best colleges for education in West Virginia#1 of 16
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in West Virginia#1 of 15
- Best colleges for chemistry in West Virginia#1 of 14
- Best test-optional colleges in West Virginia#1 of 13
- Best colleges for mathematics in West Virginia#1 of 12
- Best colleges for art and design in West Virginia#1 of 11
Show 14 more
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in West Virginia#2 of 19
- Best colleges for music in West Virginia#1 of 8
- Best colleges for nursing in West Virginia#2 of 15
- Best colleges for criminal justice in West Virginia#2 of 14
- Best colleges for English in West Virginia#2 of 14
- Best colleges for psychology in West Virginia#2 of 14
- Best colleges for accounting in West Virginia#2 of 13
- Best colleges for history in West Virginia#2 of 13
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in West Virginia#2 of 13
- Best colleges in West Virginia#3 of 19
- Best colleges for business in West Virginia#3 of 19
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in West Virginia#2 of 12
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in West Virginia#2 of 11
- Best colleges for engineering in West Virginia#2 of 9
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.65%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.83%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,122 · ACT 23
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.19 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$13,615
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.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $26,415 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.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 18,615 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 49% · Women 51% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 30% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 57% |
| Total students | 24,200 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $15,634 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $26,415 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $22,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 65% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 46% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 46% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 58% |
| First-year retention | 83% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $55,939 |
| Admission rate | 89% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $50 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $877 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 22% |
| Average SAT | 1122 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 520–620 |
| SAT math | 490–600 |
| ACT composite | 20–26 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 29% (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).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Mining and Mineral Engineering | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Computer engineering | |
| Computer science | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Management information systems | |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | |
| Petroleum Engineering | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Nursing | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Mathematics | |
| Finance | |
| Dental assisting | |
| Accounting | |
| Clinical laboratory science | |
| Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy | |
| Business administration | |
| Landscape Architecture | |
| Physiology and pathology | |
| Marketing | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Economics | |
| Managerial economics | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Agricultural business | |
| Business (general) | |
| Public health | |
| Forestry | |
| Security science | |
| Other communication, journalism, and related programs | |
| Journalism | |
| Biology | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Geography | |
| Philosophy | |
| Political science | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Design | |
| Sociology | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| Animal Sciences | |
| Teacher education | |
| Secondary education | |
| Psychology | |
| Plant Sciences | |
| Social work | |
| Family and human development | |
| Linguistics | |
| Music | |
| History | |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | |
| Fine arts | |
| English | |
| Theatre | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Agriculture, Anthropology, Biochemistry, Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Chemistry, Communication studies, Community Organization and Advocacy, Computer Systems Analysis, Criminal justice, Criminology, Dance, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Entrepreneurship, General studies, German, Health administration, Health sciences, Information technology, International relations, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Physics, Public relations, Romance languages, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Special education, Sustainability Studies.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Engineering | |
| Health professions | |
| Biology | |
| Social sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 3% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 4% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $14,582 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Big Twelve Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 19 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 11%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 74%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $38,108IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 29% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Arnold Palmer Regional Airport (LBE)About 53 miles away · about 1 hour 25 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)About 61 miles away |
| Town population | 30,236Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | PittsburghAbout 56 miles away · about 1 hour 40 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 30°F in January · 73°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Morgantown L&d, WV |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.21 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.14 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.20 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.06 | 0.15 |
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.
Questions families ask
- What is West Virginia University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 37% of rated colleges. 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 West Virginia University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $15,634 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 West Virginia University?
- West Virginia University admitted 89% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do West Virginia University’s graduates do?
- 65% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $55,939; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 238032
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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