Public · Community college
West Virginia Northern Community College
Wheeling, West Virginia · Small city
- 13%
- Transfer rate
- $5,329
- Avg net price
- 33%
- Grad / completion
- $30,162
- Median earnings
West Virginia Northern Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Wheeling, West Virginia (small city setting), enrolling 1,014 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.
About Wheeling, West Virginia
Wheeling is a city in Ohio and Marshall counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia. The origins of the name "Wheeling" are disputed. West Virginia Independence Hall was the site of the Wheeling Convention, two meetings held in 1861 that ultimately reversed Virginia's Ordinance of Secession. 26 counties in Virginia's north and west voted against secession from the Union and created the new state of West Virginia, which the United States quickly admitted. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Small city
- Highest degree offered
- Associate
- Nearest big city
- 46 miles to Pittsburgh, PA
- To Great Lakes shore
- 112 miles
- Nearest airport
- 39 miles to Pittsburgh (PIT) · major hub
How West Virginia Northern Community College compares
Higher than 17% · #36 of 42 in West Virginia
Higher than 25%
Higher than 32% · #27 of 40 in West Virginia
Cheaper than 90% · #17 cheapest of 42 in West Virginia
Lower than 45%
Lower than 78%
Larger than 73%
Percentiles compare West Virginia Northern Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in West Virginia.
Student body
Undergraduates by gender
- Women66065%
- Men35435%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White87%
- Black5.4%
- Hispanic2.0%
- Asian1.2%
- Other or multiracial4.7%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,014
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 37%
- First-generation students
- 49%
- Students over 25
- 22%
- Median family income
- $21,195
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $67,473
- Endowment
- $2,523,372
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 241 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From West Virginia89%
- Other U.S. states11%
Most first-years stay in state — West Virginia Northern Community College draws overwhelmingly from West Virginia.
Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $4,706
- Out-of-state tuition
- $12,698
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $1,658
- Total cost of attendance
- $13,512
- Average net price
- $5,329
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
- 33%
- First-year retention
- 61%
- Transferred to another college
- 13%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $31,298
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $30,162
- Median debt at graduation
- $10,245
- Students with federal loans
- 9%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 27%
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
- No
- Application fee
- Free
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%.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- A
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 0.0 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (1,525 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.
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.
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: 11% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $1,457. 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 217 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)
- $30,162
- Typical debt at graduation
- $10,245
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 34%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 37%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.4 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 $10,178 (37%) 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
- 85°F
- Winter low
- 22°F
- Annual rain
- 41.9″
- Annual snow
- 15.2″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Wheeling, WV US station (0.6 mi from campus).
What West Virginia Northern Community College 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 West Virginia Northern Community College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare West Virginia Northern Community College side by side →
New River Community and Technical College
Beaver, West Virginia · Fringe rural · 48 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 770
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 7%
- Earnings
- $29k
Mountwest Community and Technical College
Huntington, West Virginia · Midsize suburb · 45 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 1,160
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 6%
- Earnings
- $29k
Pierpont Community and Technical College
Fairmont, West Virginia · Distant town · 70 mi to Pittsburgh
- Students
- 959
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 8%
- Earnings
- $35k
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College
Logan, West Virginia · Distant town · 40 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 1,064
- Tuition
- $5k
- Transfer
- 6%
- Earnings
- $32k
BridgeValley Community & Technical College
South Charleston, West Virginia · Midsize suburb · 4 mi to Charleston
- Students
- 1,854
- Tuition
- $6k
- Transfer
- 13%
- Earnings
- $36k
Central Louisiana Technical Community College
Alexandria, Louisiana · Small city · 79 mi to Lafayette
- Students
- 1,078
- Tuition
- $4k
- Transfer
- 6%
- Earnings
- $30k
Colleges near West Virginia Northern Community College
Wheeling University
Wheeling, WV · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 589 students
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B M Spurr School of Practical Nursing
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West Liberty University
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Belmont College
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Bethany College
Bethany, WV · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 614 students
Ohio University-Eastern Campus
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Trinity Health System School of Nursing
Steubenville, OH · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 26 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.