Private nonprofit · University
Wheeling University
Wheeling, West Virginia · Small city
- 63.2%
- Admit rate
- $20,503
- Avg net price
- 23%
- Graduation rate
- $57,949
- Median earnings
Wheeling University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Wheeling, West Virginia (small city setting), enrolling 589 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.
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
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 45 miles to Pittsburgh, PA
- To Great Lakes shore
- 113 miles
- Nearest airport
- 38 miles to Pittsburgh (PIT) · major hub
How Wheeling University compares
More selective than 73% · #4 most selective of 15 in West Virginia
Higher than 8% · #18 of 20 in West Virginia
Higher than 8%
Higher than 62% · #1 of 19 in West Virginia
Cheaper than 48% · #18 cheapest of 19 in West Virginia
Lower than 30%
Lower than 35%
Larger than 24%
Percentiles compare Wheeling 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
- Undergraduate58979%
- Graduate15521%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women31353%
- Men27647%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White49%
- Black22%
- Hispanic4.6%
- Asian0.7%
- Other or multiracial24%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 589
- Graduate enrollment
- 155
- Student–faculty ratio
- 15 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 32%
- First-generation students
- 37%
- Students over 25
- 9%
- Median family income
- $59,200
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $53,154
- Endowment
- $4,601,377
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 63.2%
- Test scores
- Not considered
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- —
- SAT average
- —
- SAT reading
- —
- SAT math
- —
- ACT composite
- —
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $29,875
- Room & board
- $12,470
- Books & supplies
- $1,240
- Total cost of attendance
- $42,504
- Average net price
- $20,503
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)
- 23%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 16%
- First-year retention
- 54%
- Transferred to another college
- 62%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $48,482
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $57,949
- Median debt at graduation
- $25,125
- Students with federal loans
- 61%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 58%
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
- 829
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 100%+
- Housing charge (year)
- $6,520
- Meal plan (year)
- $5,900
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II with football
- Football conference
- Mountain East Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 549 (361 men · 188 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)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.7 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 3
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 1
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (774 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.
$19,913/year × about 4.5 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.
Wheeling University discounts heavily: 78% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $20,182. 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 230 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)
- $57,949
- Typical debt at graduation
- $25,125
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 43%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 71%
Typical debt would take roughly 4.3 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 $9,231 (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
- 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 (2.2 mi from campus).
What Wheeling 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 Wheeling University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Wheeling University side by side →
Tabor College
Hillsboro, Kansas · Remote rural · 46 mi to Wichita
- Students
- 494
- Admission
- 65%
- Net price
- $20k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $54k
Bushnell University
Eugene, Oregon · Midsize city · < 1 mi to Eugene
- Students
- 517
- Admission
- 67%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1020
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $54k
Presbyterian College
Clinton, South Carolina · Distant town · 40 mi to Greenville
- Students
- 852
- Admission
- 68%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1118
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $60k
Cleary University
Howell, Michigan · Midsize suburb · 36 mi to Lansing
- Students
- 738
- Admission
- 68%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $54k
Agnes Scott College
Decatur, Georgia · Large suburb · 5 mi to Atlanta
- Students
- 836
- Admission
- 62%
- Net price
- $25k
- SAT
- 1260
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $56k
LaGrange College
Lagrange, Georgia · Distant town · 40 mi to Columbus
- Students
- 636
- Admission
- 62%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $52k
Colleges near Wheeling University
West Virginia Northern Community College
Wheeling, WV · Public · Associate · 1,014 students
Elite Academy of Hair Design
Bridgeport, OH · Private for-profit · Certificate · 61 students
West Liberty University
West Liberty, WV · Public · Bachelor's · 1,511 students
B M Spurr School of Practical Nursing
Glen Dale, WV · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 17 students
Bethany College
Bethany, WV · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 614 students
Belmont College
St Clairsville, OH · Public · Associate · 600 students
Ohio University-Eastern Campus
Saint Clairsville, OH · Public · Bachelor's · 298 students
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.














