Public · University

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia · Small city

#2 for grad earnings in West Virginia#3 graduation rate in West Virginia
89.0%
Admit rate
$15,634
Avg net price
65%
Graduation rate
$55,939
Median earnings

West Virginia University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Morgantown, West Virginia (small city setting), enrolling 17,385 undergraduates.

PublicLarge · 17,385 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 89% admitNCAA Division I-FBS · Big Twelve ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
89.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
1010–1220
Avg GPA (est.)
3.21

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

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

About Morgantown, West Virginia

Morgantown is a city and the county seat of Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States. The treaty decided the issue in favor of the British, but Indian fighting continued almost to the beginning of the American Revolutionary War in 1775. Morgantown has a well-established theatrical presence, supported in part by the infrastructure provided by West Virginia University, including the Canady Creative Arts Center and the West Virginia Public Theatre. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
159 miles
Nearest airport
2 miles to Morgantown Municipal Airport Walter L. (Bill) Hart Field (MGW)

How West Virginia University compares

Selectivity89.0%

More selective than 26% · #6 most selective of 15 in West Virginia

SAT average1122

Higher than 38%

Graduation rate65%

Higher than 68% · #3 of 20 in West Virginia

First-year retention83%

Higher than 71%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,939

Higher than 57% · #2 of 19 in West Virginia

Average net price$15,634

Cheaper than 70% · #14 cheapest of 19 in West Virginia

Median debt at graduation$22,500

Lower than 56%

Student–faculty ratio19 : 1

Lower than 14%

Undergraduate enrollment17,385

Larger than 94%

Percentiles compare West Virginia 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

22,822students
  • Undergraduate17,38576%
  • Graduate5,43724%

Undergraduates by gender

17,385undergrads
  • Women8,71550%
  • Men8,67050%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White82%
  • Black3.0%
  • Hispanic4.7%
  • Asian1.6%
  • Other or multiracial9.0%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
17,385
Graduate enrollment
5,437
Student–faculty ratio
19 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
22%
First-generation students
30%
Students over 25
4%
Median family income
$60,096
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$106,488
Endowment
$835,754,657

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 4,377 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From West Virginia43%
  • Other U.S. states56%
  • International0.7%

A national draw — only 43% of first-years come from West Virginia; 56% arrive from other states.

1% came from outside the U.S. 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.

Admissions

Admission rate
89.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1010–1220
SAT average
1122
SAT reading
520–620
SAT math
490–600
ACT composite
20–26
Average GPA (estimated)
3.21

Cost

In-state tuition
$10,104
Out-of-state tuition
$28,608
Room & board
$14,582
Books & supplies
$950
Total cost of attendance
$26,415
Average net price
$15,634

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)
65%
Graduated on time (4 years)
48%
First-year retention
83%
Transferred to another college
21%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$45,181
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$55,939
Median debt at graduation
$22,500
Students with federal loans
45%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
53%

About 16% 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
48%
Low-income (Pell)
43%
First-generation
45%

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
5,458
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
31%
Housing charge (year)
$7,976
Meal plan (year)
$5,900
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FBS
Football conference
Big Twelve Conference
Varsity athletes
566 (303 men · 263 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)

Football127
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)95
Soccer62
Swimming and Diving (combined)60
Rowing51
Baseball42
Wrestling38
Basketball31
Gymnastics21
Volleyball13
Golf11
Rifle8
Tennis7

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
146
Property offenses (2022–2024)
69

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (23,643 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.

72reported offenses a year
49 violent a year23 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
19
Fondling
17
Burglary
17
Aggravated assault
11
Motor vehicle theft
4.7
Arson
1.7
Robbery
1.3
Negligent manslaughter
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
$9,450
$30–48k
$12,501
$48–75k
$14,179
$75–110k
$18,710
$110k+
$20,273

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
$62,064

$14,179/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.

90%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$8,921
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 90% — get grant money from West Virginia University itself, averaging $8,921, which softens the sticker price.

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 4,588 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)
$55,939
Typical debt at graduation
$22,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
40%
Out-earn a HS grad
62%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.0 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
$51,520
Men
$60,063

Men out-earn women by $8,543 (17%) 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
21°F
Annual rain
44.5″
Annual snow
14.4″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.7JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Morgantown L&D, WV US station (1.3 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 Virginia University

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

Colleges near West Virginia 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.