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Marshall University: JohnDeaverDrinkoLibrary
Photo: Kuyler McComas (Kuyman), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

National university

#4 Best colleges for history in West Virginia

Marshall University

Huntington, WV · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $7,502 a year

Median debt at graduation: $23,250 (all students)

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

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 West Virginia

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.51%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,061 · ACT 21.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,515

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$4,648
$30,001–$48,000$4,430
$48,001–$75,000$6,837
$75,001–$110,000$11,227
Over $110,000$15,076

Full cost of attendance before aid: $22,022 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)
8,235
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 44% · Women 56%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
37%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
22%
Total students11,027
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$7,502
Cost of attendance (per year)$22,022
Median federal debt at graduation$23,250
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
51%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
46%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
45%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
42%
First-year retention72%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$46,354
Admission rate96%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$40
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $853 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants39%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 910–1150ACT 19–24
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1061
SAT reading & writing480–590
SAT math430–560
ACT composite19–24
Test policyConsidered 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).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Information technology$79,371
Nursing$77,609
Clinical laboratory science$75,952
Engineering (general)$72,922
Accounting$70,425
Managerial economics$70,073
Computing and information science$69,565
Allied health$67,667
Finance$63,906
Marketing$58,293
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services$55,840
Speech-language pathology$55,037
Business administration$54,659
Political science$50,832
Criminal justice$49,559
Other natural resources and conservation$48,972
Systems Science and Theory$48,250
Kinesiology and exercise science$47,581
Psychology$45,309
Biology$44,836
Journalism$44,277
Natural resources and conservation$43,995
Liberal arts$43,714
Teacher education$43,659
Pre-health$42,925
Social work$41,684
History$41,214
English$39,402
Visual and performing arts$35,126
Fine arts$32,723

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Business (general), Chemistry, Civil engineering, Communication studies, Computer Systems Analysis, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Economics, Electrical engineering, Film and video, Geography, Geology and earth science, Insurance, International business, International relations, Linguistics, Literature, Management information systems, Mathematics, Mechanical engineering, Other business, management, marketing, and related support services, Other computer and information sciences and support services, Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, Physics, Public health, Public relations, Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians, Rehabilitation and therapy, Secondary education, Sociology, Statistics, Writing and rhetoric.

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
Health professions22%
Business17%
Liberal arts and general studies11%
Education8%
Psychology6%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates7%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older11%
On-campus room and board (per year)$13,292
SportsNCAA Division I · Sun Belt Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member16 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 9%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time75%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$22,743IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 28% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceTri-State Airport / Milton J. Ferguson Field (HTS)About 8 miles away · about 25 minutes by car
Nearest major airportJohn Glenn Columbus International Airport (CMH)About 112 miles away
Town population45,787Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreColumbusAbout 112 miles away · about 3 hours by car
Typical weather34°F in January · 77°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Huntington Swg Pl, 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
Rape0.040.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.030.04
Burglary0.030.08
Motor vehicle theft0.060.15

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 Marshall University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B-). 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 Marshall University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $7,502 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 Marshall University?
Marshall University admitted 96% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Marshall University’s graduates do?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $46,354; the median federal debt at graduation is $23,250.

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