Private nonprofit · University

University of Charleston

Charleston, West Virginia · Small city

#3 most selective in West Virginia#4 for grad earnings in West Virginia
61.5%
Admit rate
$22,107
Avg net price
46%
Graduation rate
$55,774
Median earnings

University of Charleston is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Charleston, West Virginia (small city setting), enrolling 2,259 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,259 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 62% admitNCAA Division II with football · Mountain East ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

About Charleston, West Virginia

Charleston is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. Virginian militia officer William Morris built the first permanent settlement in the Kanawha Valley, named Fort Morris, in 1773. It was about 20 mi (32 km) upstream of modern Charleston, at the confluence of Kellys Creek, and was used extensively during the American Revolution. Charleston is home to numerous annual events and fairs that take place from the banks of the Kanawha River to the capitol grounds. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
1 mile to Charleston, WV
To Great Lakes shore
216 miles
Nearest airport
3 miles to Yeager (CRW)

How University of Charleston compares

Selectivity61.5%

More selective than 75% · #3 most selective of 15 in West Virginia

Graduation rate46%

Higher than 31% · #10 of 20 in West Virginia

First-year retention75%

Higher than 44%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,774

Higher than 56% · #4 of 19 in West Virginia

Average net price$22,107

Cheaper than 40% · #19 cheapest of 19 in West Virginia

Median debt at graduation$19,500

Lower than 78%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment2,259

Larger than 61%

Percentiles compare University of Charleston 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

2,973students
  • Undergraduate2,25976%
  • Graduate71424%

Undergraduates by gender

2,259undergrads
  • Women1,32659%
  • Men93341%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White66%
  • Black9.4%
  • Hispanic8.7%
  • Asian1.1%
  • Other or multiracial15%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,259
Graduate enrollment
714
Student–faculty ratio
15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
31%
First-generation students
43%
Students over 25
53%
Median family income
$44,570
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$65,673
Endowment
$62,316,735

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

Admissions

Admission rate
61.5%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$33,800
Room & board
$12,280
Books & supplies
$2,000
Total cost of attendance
$46,470
Average net price
$22,107

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)
46%
Graduated on time (4 years)
36%
First-year retention
75%
Transferred to another college
32%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$42,698
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$55,774
Median debt at graduation
$19,500
Students with federal loans
35%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
45%

About 10% 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
36%
Low-income (Pell)
51%
First-generation
51%

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
756
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
33%
Housing charge (year)
$5,770
Meal plan (year)
$4,810
Application fee
$25
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Mountain East Conference
Varsity athletes
702 (432 men · 270 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 (10)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)204
Football133
Soccer91
Baseball61
Volleyball56
Basketball38
Lacrosse38
Softball29
Tennis29
Golf23

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.5 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
3
Property offenses (2022–2024)
2

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (3,062 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.

1.7reported offenses a year
1.0 violent a year0.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
0.7
Burglary
0.7
Aggravated assault
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
$21,427
$30–48k
$25,331
$48–75k
$16,945
$75–110k
$20,215
$110k+
$23,795

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
$73,338

$16,945/year × about 4.3 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
$21,126
average award, among those who get one

University of Charleston discounts heavily: 92% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $21,126. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

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 236 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)
$55,774
Typical debt at graduation
$19,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
35%
Out-earn a HS grad
60%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.5 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
$51,579
Men
$60,810

Men out-earn women by $9,231 (18%) 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
86°F
Winter low
26°F
Annual rain
46.2″
Annual snow
31.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.75.4JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Charleston Yeager AP, WV US station (3.5 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 University of Charleston

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

Colleges near University of Charleston

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.