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).
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
More selective than 9% · #13 most selective of 15 in West Virginia
Higher than 7%
Higher than 19% · #15 of 20 in West Virginia
Higher than 9%
Higher than 11% · #17 of 19 in West Virginia
Cheaper than 78% · #10 cheapest of 19 in West Virginia
Lower than 83%
Lower than 50%
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
- Undergraduate1,04298%
- Graduate242%
Undergraduates by gender
- 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)
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)
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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$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.
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.
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.
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
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Bluefield, WV US station (1 mi from campus).
What Bluefield State University graduates study — and earn
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 →
Sul Ross State University
Alpine, Texas · Remote town · 146 mi to Midland
- Students
- 1,396
- Admission
- 99%
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- 1024
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $42k
West Virginia State University
Institute, West Virginia · Midsize suburb · 7 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 1,321
- Admission
- 96%
- Net price
- $11k
- SAT
- 955
- GPA
- 2.8
- Earnings
- $40k
Concord University
Athens, West Virginia · Fringe rural · 59 mi to Roanoke
- Students
- 1,504
- Admission
- 93%
- Net price
- $10k
- SAT
- 977
- GPA
- 2.8
- Earnings
- $43k
Delta State University
Cleveland, Mississippi · Remote town · 105 mi to Memphis
- Students
- 1,620
- Admission
- 100%
- Net price
- $14k
- SAT
- 1050
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $42k
West Liberty University
West Liberty, West Virginia · Fringe rural · 37 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 1,511
- Admission
- 97%
- Net price
- $15k
- SAT
- 1045
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $43k
The University of Tennessee Southern
Pulaski, Tennessee · Distant town · 41 mi to Huntsville
- Students
- 864
- Admission
- 87%
- Net price
- $13k
- SAT
- 1083
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $39k
Colleges near Bluefield State University
Bluefield University
Bluefield, VA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 614 students
Mercer County Technical Education Center
Princeton, WV · Public · Certificate · 120 students
Concord University
Athens, WV · Public · Bachelor's · 1,504 students
Wytheville Community College
Wytheville, VA · Public · Certificate · 1,255 students
New River Community College
Dublin, VA · Public · Certificate · 1,965 students
New River Community and Technical College
Beaver, WV · Public · Associate · 770 students
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
Beckley, WV · Public · Bachelor's · 981 students
Southwest Virginia Community College
Cedar Bluff, VA · Public · Certificate · 1,651 students
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.










