Public · University

Bluefield State University

Bluefield, West Virginia · Distant town

97.2%
Admit rate
$13,684
Avg net price
37%
Graduation rate
$38,217
Median earnings

Bluefield State University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Bluefield, West Virginia (distant town setting), enrolling 1,042 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

PublicSmall · 1,042 undergradsDistant townAccessible · 97% admitNCAA Division II with football · Central Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Bluefield State University's admitted students.

Admit rate
97.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
870–1080
Avg GPA (est.)
2.84

Enter a test score to see where you land against Bluefield State University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Bluefield State University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Bluefield, West Virginia

Bluefield is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The history of Bluefield began in the 18th century, when the Davidson and Bailey families settled in a rugged and remote part of what is now southern West Virginia. Bluefield prides itself on its hospitable climate. Since 1938, the Chamber of Commerce has given free lemonade when the temperature has surpassed 90 °F. The city's motto is "nature's air conditioned city, where the summer spends the winter". (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
71 miles to Roanoke, VA
To the ocean
218 miles
Nearest airport
37 miles to Raleigh County Memorial (BKW)

How Bluefield State University compares

Selectivity97.2%

More selective than 9% · #13 most selective of 15 in West Virginia

SAT average989

Higher than 7%

Graduation rate37%

Higher than 19% · #15 of 20 in West Virginia

First-year retention55%

Higher than 9%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$38,217

Higher than 11% · #17 of 19 in West Virginia

Average net price$13,684

Cheaper than 78% · #10 cheapest of 19 in West Virginia

Median debt at graduation$18,250

Lower than 83%

Student–faculty ratio13 : 1

Lower than 50%

Undergraduate enrollment1,042

Larger than 38%

Percentiles compare Bluefield State University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in West Virginia.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,066students
  • Undergraduate1,04298%
  • Graduate242%

Undergraduates by gender

1,042undergrads
  • Women65463%
  • Men38837%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White66%
  • Black22%
  • Hispanic5.3%
  • Other or multiracial5.7%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,042
Graduate enrollment
24
Student–faculty ratio
13 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
44%
First-generation students
49%
Students over 25
19%
Median family income
$26,625
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$66,141
Endowment
$4,583,708

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
97.2%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
870–1080
SAT average
989
SAT reading
440–540
SAT math
430–540
ACT composite
17–22
Average GPA (estimated)
2.84

Cost

In-state tuition
$10,648
Out-of-state tuition
$18,376
Room & board
$11,512
Books & supplies
$1,500
Total cost of attendance
$21,839
Average net price
$13,684

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
37%
Graduated on time (4 years)
17%
First-year retention
55%
Transferred to another college
25%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$35,030
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$38,217
Median debt at graduation
$18,250
Students with federal loans
55%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
24%

About 20% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
17%
Low-income (Pell)
27%
First-generation
29%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
233
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
22%
Housing charge (year)
$5,400
Meal plan (year)
$5,408
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
398 (241 men · 157 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Football93
Track and Field (Outdoor)41
Basketball38
Wrestling35
Track and Field (Indoor)33
Baseball31
Other Sports26
Soccer20
Golf19
Softball18
Cross Country16
Tennis14
Volleyball14

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
6
Property offenses (2022–2024)
3

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,313 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

3.0reported offenses a year
2.0 violent a year1.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
1.7
Burglary
0.7
Statutory rape
0.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$11,810
$30–48k
$10,703
$48–75k
$14,630
$75–110k
$17,058
$110k+
$16,242

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$70,370

$14,630/year × about 4.8 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

92%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$6,366
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 92% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $6,366. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 285 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$38,217
Typical debt at graduation
$18,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
48%
Out-earn a HS grad
46%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$35,253
Men
$46,039

Men out-earn women by $10,786 (31%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
81°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
45.4″
Annual snow
39.7″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.54.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Bluefield, WV US station (1 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Bluefield State University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Bluefield State University side by side →

Colleges near Bluefield State University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.