Public · University

West Liberty University

West Liberty, West Virginia · Fringe rural

#4 graduation rate in West Virginia
97.3%
Admit rate
$15,366
Avg net price
60%
Graduation rate
$43,296
Median earnings

West Liberty University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in West Liberty, West Virginia (fringe rural setting), enrolling 1,511 undergraduates.

PublicSmall · 1,511 undergradsFringe ruralAccessible · 97% admitNCAA Division II with football · Mountain East ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against West Liberty University's admitted students.

Admit rate
97.3%
SAT (mid 50%)
890–1123
Avg GPA (est.)
2.99

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

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

About West Liberty, West Virginia

West Liberty is a town in Ohio County, West Virginia, United States. West Liberty was given its name during the American Revolution. It served as the county seat of Ohio County, Virginia from 1777 to 1797. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Fringe rural
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
109 miles
Nearest airport
30 miles to Pittsburgh (PIT) · major hub

How West Liberty University compares

Selectivity97.3%

More selective than 9% · #14 most selective of 15 in West Virginia

SAT average1045

Higher than 14%

Graduation rate60%

Higher than 59% · #4 of 20 in West Virginia

First-year retention69%

Higher than 28%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$43,296

Higher than 20% · #12 of 19 in West Virginia

Average net price$15,366

Cheaper than 71% · #13 cheapest of 19 in West Virginia

Median debt at graduation$23,250

Lower than 50%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment1,511

Larger than 49%

Percentiles compare West Liberty 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

1,876students
  • Undergraduate1,51181%
  • Graduate36519%

Undergraduates by gender

1,511undergrads
  • Women92661%
  • Men58539%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White81%
  • Black5.3%
  • Asian0.5%
  • Other or multiracial13%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,511
Graduate enrollment
365
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
32%
First-generation students
36%
Students over 25
6%
Median family income
$45,145
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$64,350
Endowment
$22,544,764

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

Admissions

Admission rate
97.3%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
890–1123
SAT average
1045
SAT reading
470–580
SAT math
420–543
ACT composite
18–24
Average GPA (estimated)
2.99

Cost

In-state tuition
$8,893
Out-of-state tuition
$17,442
Room & board
$12,728
Books & supplies
$1,230
Total cost of attendance
$23,809
Average net price
$15,366

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)
60%
Graduated on time (4 years)
43%
First-year retention
69%
Transferred to another college
1%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$36,822
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$43,296
Median debt at graduation
$23,250
Students with federal loans
44%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
46%

About 17% 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
43%
Low-income (Pell)
49%
First-generation
47%

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
1,291
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
85%
Housing charge (year)
$5,672
Meal plan (year)
$5,022
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Mountain East Conference
Varsity athletes
552 (338 men · 214 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 (11)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)151
Football97
Soccer65
Wrestling63
Baseball48
Softball32
Basketball29
Gymnastics25
Volleyball16
Tennis14
Golf12

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
0
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,299 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.

0.3reported offenses a year
0 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
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
$12,714
$30–48k
$14,460
$48–75k
$15,087
$75–110k
$17,362
$110k+
$18,566

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
$66,814

$15,087/year × about 4.4 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.

33%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$5,590
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 33% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $5,590. 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 424 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)
$43,296
Typical debt at graduation
$23,250
Debt vs. one year's pay
54%
Out-earn a HS grad
49%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.4 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
$40,072
Men
$49,087

Men out-earn women by $9,015 (22%) 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
83°F
Winter low
22°F
Annual rain
37.5″
Annual snow
15.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.04.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Wheeling Ohio CO AP, WV US station (2.5 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 West Liberty University

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

Colleges near West Liberty 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.