College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

West Virginia University

WVLarge public institution · Overall rank #359 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth places West Virginia University in the 76th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

West Virginia University is a public university in Morgantown, West Virginia, whose degree mix is led by Engineering and Business, with mobility well above average. Graduates earn about what predicts for students like them, and the typical graduate earns below the median at comparable schools.

The model attributes the gap to the factors it measures, which adds to expected earnings, while the remainder it does not explain subtracts. The net price for the lowest income band sits well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it, and affordability is above average.

Pell students complete at a rate well below the overall cohort, and access is above average, the weakest of the four . The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than further study.

A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are much smaller.

West Virginia University at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
89.0%
Six-year completion[2]
64.7%
Four-year earnings[3]
$64,952

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$14,179
Median student debt[4]
$22,500
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$32,980

West Virginia University rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

West Virginia University is a public university in Morgantown, West Virginia, enrolling 17,385 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits in the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions (76th percentile).

The shape is a broad-access public campus where mobility is the strongest pillar and access the weakest, with return and affordability between them. The university admits 89.0% of applicants, a rate above the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size.

Of students who start full time, 83.4% return for a second year, against a peer median of 83.1%. The six-year graduation rate is 64.7%, compared to a peer median of 65.0%.

An estimated 14.0% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students. The four pillars sit some distance apart.

Mobility, at the 78th percentile, leads the group, while access is the weakest of the four at the 59th percentile. Return and affordability fall in between, creating a profile where the university's strength in moving students up the economic ladder contrasts with a more modest access position.

Mobility is the clearest positive in West Virginia University’s Azimuth profile, while access is its weakest pillar. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, Azimuth puts mobility in the 78th percentile and return in the 69th percentile.

Affordability is in the 64th percentile, while access stands in the 59th percentile, the lowest of the four measures.

Pell Grant recipients make up 21.6% of undergraduates at West Virginia University, a measure of financial access. For access, Azimuth places West Virginia University at #609 among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete at 46.1%, a rate that sits 18.6 percentage points below the overall six-year graduation rate (64.7%). Mobility is the strongest pillar for West Virginia University, and Azimuth ranks the university #321 on that pillar among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $731 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

West Virginia University rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#359

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 78
Access & reach
National percentile: 59
Affordability
National percentile: 64
Return on investment
National percentile: 69

Top-ranked majors

  1. Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy#1
  2. Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences#8
  3. Security Science and Technology#8

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / West Virginia University briefing

West Virginia University cost & financial aid[6][7]

West Virginia University lists a published cost of attendance of $26,415. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported in-state tuition of $8,688 and required fees of $1,416 for the 2025-26 academic year, with on-campus food and housing at $14,582.

Out-of-state tuition is $27,192. After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients is $15,634.

That is level with the $15,634 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Financial aid reduces the published cost by an average of $10,781 for aid recipients.

Azimuth ranks the university #510 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The published cost of attendance at West Virginia University is $26,415. Azimuth ranks the university #510 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $9,450, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $14,179, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $20,273. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $10,823.

Aid covers about 41% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, bringing the across all bands to $15,634. That figure is level with the median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who finish carry a median of $22,500 in federal student loans. That is $2,424 above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions.

87.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $32,980.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$14,179

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at West Virginia University

At West Virginia University, 87.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. For borrowers who complete, the median federal student loan debt is $22,500.

That compares with a peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size), so the university’s median sits $2,424 above it. Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS, a separate borrower population, have median debt of $32,980.

In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported that 63% of graduates borrowed from any source, averaging $36,010 per borrower. That group included 60% of graduates with federal loans, averaging $20,458. It also included 23% of graduates with private loans, averaging $45,932.

At West Virginia University, the investment picture is mixed: earnings sit near the model’s expected level, while median debt is above the peer median. Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn median earnings of $64,952 four years after completion; Azimuth places that figure in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, rank in the 58th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $731 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level.

The downside earnings scenario is $50,277, the typical scenario is $64,952, and the upside scenario is $91,063. Median federal student loan debt of $22,500 is $2,424 above the $20,076 peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month if repaid over ten years. Near-expected earnings and above-peer debt pull in different directions.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $32,980. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month if repaid over ten years.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$22,500
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$32,980

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$256/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$419/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / West Virginia University briefing

West Virginia University career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

West Virginia University's strongest pillar is mobility, while its return figures sit close to the model's expected level. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 69th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Graduates earn about $731 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, sits in the 58th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $9,118. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,387.

Federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $64,952 four years after completion, in the 66th percentile. That is $658 below the $65,610 peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Near-expected model earnings and below-peer median earnings point to a mixed return picture.

The central earnings picture at West Virginia University is close to what the model anticipates for similar students. Among federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled, median earnings are $64,952 four years after completion.

Azimuth places the school's earnings in the 66th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, based on an earnings cohort of 5,591 completers. Graduates earn about $731 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level.

Earnings scenarios from the program mix put typical earnings at $64,952, with a downside scenario of $50,277 and an upside scenario of $91,063. An estimated 29.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix.

The observed median and modeled typical scenario give a consistent central picture.

Return measures point in different directions at West Virginia University: median earnings sit below its comparable-institution benchmark even as the model places graduates close to expected earnings. Four years after completion, federally aided completers who are working and not enrolled have median earnings of $64,952, in the 66th percentile.

The peer median, the middle value for comparable institutions (same type and size), is $65,610; the university is $658 below that mark. Graduates earn about $731 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level.

Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, falls in the 58th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $9,118.

The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $8,387. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,004.

Downside and upside earnings scenarios grounded in the program mix are $50,277 and $91,063. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 69th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy stands out for its field benchmark. Azimuth ranks it #1 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Its earnings equal 1.33x of the national median for that field. Mining and Mineral Engineering had 17 degrees awarded and median earnings of $109,619 four years after completion.

Industrial Engineering awarded 105 degrees, with median earnings of $99,180; Azimuth ranks it #26 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. These program figures show earnings that vary substantially by field alongside the schoolwide median.

The university’s earnings range depends heavily on program choice: the downside scenario is $50,277 and the upside scenario is $91,063 four years after completion. They are earnings scenarios built from the program mix, not observed groups.

At the program level, median earnings four years after completion are $109,619 in Mining and Mineral Engineering, $99,542 in Electrical Engineering, and $99,180 in Industrial Engineering. These program medians give the modeled range a more specific field-by-field reading.

The published cost of attendance is $26,415. After grants and scholarships, the average net price—what aid recipients actually pay—is $15,634, and aid covers about 41% of the sticker price for the average aid recipient.

Graduates of West Virginia University leave with a median of $22,500 in federal student loans. That is $2,424 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size), which is $20,076.

If repaid over ten years, the debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $256 a month. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $32,980 in Parent PLUS loans.

Graduates earn about $731 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level, and the median earnings sit below the median for comparable institutions.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$9,118
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$8,387
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$731

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / West Virginia University briefing

West Virginia University acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

West Virginia University admitted a broad share of its reported applicant pool, at 89.0%. That rate is above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Applicants should place West Virginia University on an application list after reviewing its score and grade profile alongside their own record.

SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
89.0%
25th percentile
1010
Median
1110
75th percentile
1210

CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / West Virginia University briefing

What are the largest majors at West Virginia University?[12]

At West Virginia University, median earnings four years after completion vary markedly across the fields shown here. Industrial Engineering recorded $99,180 and 105 degrees awarded; Azimuth ranks it #26 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences had median earnings of $70,165 across 167 degrees awarded, with an Azimuth national rank of #8 among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. Nursing posted $83,750 with 223 degrees awarded; Azimuth places it #202 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field.

At a more moderate earnings level, Kinesiology and Physical Education recorded $57,359 and 200 degrees awarded, ranking #79 nationally by Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions in its field. The figures show distinct earnings levels even among programs with substantial numbers of degrees awarded.

The program picture spans 43 nationally ranked bachelor’s fields, with markedly different earnings across them. Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences ranks #8 nationally in Azimuth among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 167 degrees awarded and median earnings of $70,165 four years after completion.

Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management ranks #11 nationally, with 54 degrees awarded and $45,348 in median earnings four years after completion.

The bachelor's degree mix at West Virginia University is spread across several fields, with no single family dominating. Engineering and Business are nearly tied, accounting for 16.1% and 16.0% of degrees awarded, respectively, while Health Professions follows at 9.8%.

The university has 54 programs with published four-year earnings data, 43 of which carry an Azimuth national rank. The largest program with published earnings is Nursing, at 223 degrees awarded, followed by Kinesiology and Physical Education at 200 and Mechanical Engineering at 182.

The strongest programs by national rank span environmental, health and security fields. Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy is the highest-ranked, with 26 degrees awarded and median earnings of $75,022 four years after completion.

Azimuth ranks it #1 in West Virginia within its field. Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences holds a national rank of #8 and is #1 in West Virginia, with 167 degrees awarded.

Security Science and Technology ranks #8 nationally and #1 in West Virginia, awarding 69 degrees a year. The highest-earning program is a much smaller one: Mining and Mineral Engineering graduates earn a median of $109,619, from just 17 degrees awarded.

Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy carries a benchmark ratio of 1.33x against the national median for its field. The pattern is one of depth in a few technical fields rather than breadth across many.

The highest-ranked programs are not the largest, and the largest programs are not the highest-earning. Nursing, the biggest by degrees, earns a median of $83,750, while Mechanical Engineering, the third-largest program with published earnings, earns $90,461.

Across all fields, 22.1% of degrees awarded are in STEM, a share that sits alongside a set of highly-ranked programs in environmental, health and security fields.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 223 degrees awarded
$83,750
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness 200 degrees awarded
$57,359
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 191 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report
Mechanical Engineering 182 degrees awarded
$90,461
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences 167 degrees awarded
$70,165
Criminology 152 degrees awarded
Too few graduates to report

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / West Virginia University briefing

How does West Virginia University serve students from different backgrounds?

At West Virginia University, mobility is its clearest pillar, anchored by completion. The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 64.7%, and Pell recipients complete within six years at 46.1%, below the overall rate by 18.6 percentage points.

Azimuth places mobility in the 78th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings beyond expectations, the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, shows that graduates earn about $731 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level.

Azimuth places this measure in the 58th percentile nationally. The completion standing and near-expected earnings give a mixed mobility picture.

For applicants, West Virginia University offers a relatively open entry point, admitting 89.0% of applicants. Undergraduate enrollment is 17,385, and Pell Grant recipients make up 21.6% of undergraduates; an estimated 14.0% enter as transfers or part-time students.

The access pillar is in the 59th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The admission rate and enrollment mix describe several routes into a public university with an above-middle access standing nationally.

06 / West Virginia University briefing

What colleges are similar to West Virginia University?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with West Virginia University.

Admissions peerSeton Hill University79.5% admitted
Comparison with West Virginia University
MeasureWest Virginia UniversitySeton Hill University
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,952$53,942-$11,010 vs West Virginia University
Average annual net price$15,634$22,204+$6,570 vs West Virginia University · higher cost
Admission rate89.0%79.5%
Higher-admission alternativeEastern Mennonite University100.0% admitted
Comparison with West Virginia University
MeasureWest Virginia UniversityEastern Mennonite University
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,952$60,150-$4,802 vs West Virginia University
Average annual net price$15,634$24,588+$8,954 vs West Virginia University · higher cost
Admission rate89.0%100.0%
Nearby alternativeFairmont State UniversityNearby option · WV
Comparison with West Virginia University
MeasureWest Virginia UniversityFairmont State University
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,952$52,884-$12,068 vs West Virginia University
Average annual net price$15,634$9,032-$6,602 vs West Virginia University · lower cost
Admission rate89.0%98.6%
Higher-earnings alternativeMichigan Technological University$84,560 earnings
Comparison with West Virginia University
MeasureWest Virginia UniversityMichigan Technological University
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,952$84,560+$19,608 vs West Virginia University
Average annual net price$15,634$14,182-$1,452 vs West Virginia University · lower cost
Admission rate89.0%92.4%
Explore Michigan Technological University →
Lower-cost alternativeCUNY Lehman College$3,148 average net price
Comparison with West Virginia University
MeasureWest Virginia UniversityCUNY Lehman College
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,952$63,353-$1,599 vs West Virginia University
Average annual net price$15,634$3,148-$12,486 vs West Virginia University · lower cost
Admission rate89.0%56.6%
Explore CUNY Lehman College →
Similar profileOld Dominion UniversityMatched across several measures
Comparison with West Virginia University
MeasureWest Virginia UniversityOld Dominion University
Peer earnings · 4 years$64,952$64,472-$480 vs West Virginia University
Average annual net price$15,634$14,638-$996 vs West Virginia University · lower cost
Admission rate89.0%90.4%
Explore Old Dominion University →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings