Fairmont State University
Fairmont, West Virginia · Also known as Fairmont State College · Website
$46,857
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$46,857
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Fairmont State University is a public 4-year college in Fairmont, West Virginia with 2,590 undergraduates and 217 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $9,032 a year (tuition and fees $8,708 in-state, $18,924 out-of-state). It admits 99% of applicants and 44% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $46,857 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$9,032
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$8,708
Out-of-state $18,924
Admission rate
99%
US median 78%
Completion rate
44%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,000
About $223 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$46,857
Rank 1,770 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $9,032
- Tuition in-state
- $8,708
- Tuition out-of-state
- $18,924
- Cost of attendance
- $20,018
- Students with a need-based grant
- 34%
- Students with federal loans
- 39%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $8,434
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $8,679
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $10,505
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $11,184
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $6,945
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $6,620 in 2015-16 to $8,708 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 99%
- Average SAT
- 996
- SAT reading, middle
- 510
- SAT math, middle
- 485
- ACT, middle
- 20
- Undergraduates
- 2,590
- Graduate students
- 217
- Part-time students
- 12%
- Women
- 57%
- Students per teacher
- 14
- Completion rate
- 44%
- Retention rate
- 67%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 52
- Endowment
- $34.5M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,770 of 5,094 US colleges and 11 of 59 in West Virginia (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | WV median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $9,032 | $9,988 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $8,708 | $9,570 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 99% | 93% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 44% | 61% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 67% | 70% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,000 | $15,625 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $41,197 | $33,094 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $46,857 | $37,962 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 45% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 68% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
52 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's | Associate's | 140 | $20,371 | $69,582 | $77,343 | $80,813 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 58 | $21,500 | $33,767 | $51,968 | $68,257 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 54 | $21,198 | $36,179 | $49,055 | $55,378 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 48 | $31,328 | $46,594 | $50,914 | $59,916 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 47 | $18,240 | $30,833 | $48,858 | $54,562 |
| Education, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 39 | $18,500 | $40,931 | $46,625 | $49,808 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 39 | $24,230 | $77,962 | $86,071 | $88,910 |
| International Relations and National Security StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 36 | $18,896 | $35,925 | $71,751 | $66,596 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 35 | $23,000 | $33,815 | $50,343 | $53,072 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 34 | $19,125 | $34,992 | $54,360 | $63,293 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 33 | $22,494 | $29,307 | $46,235 | $50,706 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionOnlineGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 30 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's | Bachelor's | 22 | $19,279 | $54,410 | $75,569 | $82,073 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 19 | $23,636 | $57,051 | Withheld | $103,485 |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | $25,527 | $48,423 | $74,806 | $86,525 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsCertificate | Certificate | 15 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Architectural Sciences and TechnologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | $28,802 | $50,680 |
| Information Science/StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | $55,280 | $85,294 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | $35,741 | $56,376 | $58,716 |
| Civil Engineering Technologies/TechniciansBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | $57,570 | $75,102 | $76,549 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | $17,738 | $64,975 | Withheld | $92,374 |
| International Relations and National Security StudiesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Fairmont and West Virginia on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in West Virginia
- Homes: Homes for sale in West Virginia
Questions and answers
How much does Fairmont State University cost?
$9,032 a year is the average net price at Fairmont State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $8,708 for in-state students and $18,924 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $20,018. Families earning under $30,000 pay $8,434 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Fairmont State University?
99% of applicants are admitted to Fairmont State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 996 and the middle ACT score is 20. The median admission rate of colleges in West Virginia is 93%.
How much do Fairmont State University graduates earn?
$46,857 a year is the median pay of former Fairmont State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($41,197 after 6 years). That ranks 1,770 of 5,094 US colleges and 11 of 59 in West Virginia. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's) at $77,962.
How much student debt do Fairmont State University graduates have?
$21,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Fairmont State University graduates, about $223 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 39% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Fairmont State University?
44% of first-time, full-time students at Fairmont State University finish within 6 years. 67% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Fairmont State University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (140 associate's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (58 bachelor's graduates), Criminal Justice and Corrections (54 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 52 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.