West Virginia State University
Institute, West Virginia · Also known as WVSU; STATE · Website
$40,492
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$40,492
median earnings, 10 years after starting
West Virginia State University is a public 4-year college in Institute, West Virginia with 1,321 undergraduates and 136 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $11,139 a year (tuition and fees $9,570 in-state, $14,990 out-of-state). It admits 96% of applicants and 39% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $40,492 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $23,338 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$11,139
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$9,570
Out-of-state $14,990
Admission rate
96%
US median 78%
Completion rate
39%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$23,338
About $247 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$40,492
Rank 2,599 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
- $11,139
- Tuition in-state
- $9,570
- Tuition out-of-state
- $14,990
- Cost of attendance
- $19,772
- Students with a need-based grant
- 20%
- Students with federal loans
- 18%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $9,457
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $10,225
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $10,703
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $13,798
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $17,355
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 $6,662 in 2015-16 to $9,570 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
- 96%
- Average SAT
- 955
- Undergraduates
- 1,321
- Graduate students
- 136
- Part-time students
- 8.3%
- Women
- 55%
- Students per teacher
- 13
- Completion rate
- 39%
- Retention rate
- 57%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 34
- Endowment
- $13.4M
- Other
- Historically Black college
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 2,599 of 5,094 US colleges and 25 of 59 in West Virginia (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | WV median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $11,139 | $9,988 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $9,570 | $9,570 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 96% | 93% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 39% | 61% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 57% | 70% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $23,338 | $15,625 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $32,849 | $33,094 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $40,492 | $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. 36% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 55% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
34 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 74 | $24,700 | $43,709 | $50,169 | $68,257 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 34 | $24,750 | $41,319 | $47,026 | $53,072 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $24,000 | $42,197 | $43,924 | $47,382 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $22,532 | $39,056 | $50,063 | $55,378 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionOnlineMaster's | Master's | 21 | Withheld | $52,879 | Withheld | $71,685 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | $20,750 | Withheld | $46,622 | $54,562 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessMaster's | Master's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Public AdministrationMaster's | Master's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $81,408 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | $31,000 | $30,060 | $41,571 | $51,790 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | $25,000 | $28,185 | $42,434 | $50,706 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsMaster's | Master's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $66,714 |
| Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $68,245 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | $28,250 | $26,351 | $37,866 | $56,359 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | $40,303 | $48,590 |
| BiotechnologyMaster's | Master's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $107,682 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $82,686 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,293 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,680 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $65,120 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | $22,764 | $41,367 |
| Communication and Media StudiesMaster's | Master's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $71,953 |
| Computer ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $107,009 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 3 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $52,657 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Institute 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 West Virginia State University cost?
$11,139 a year is the average net price at West Virginia State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $9,570 for in-state students and $14,990 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $19,772. Families earning under $30,000 pay $9,457 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at West Virginia State University?
96% of applicants are admitted to West Virginia State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 955. The median admission rate of colleges in West Virginia is 93%.
How much do West Virginia State University graduates earn?
$40,492 a year is the median pay of former West Virginia State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($32,849 after 6 years). That ranks 2,599 of 5,094 US colleges and 25 of 59 in West Virginia. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's) at $52,879.
How much student debt do West Virginia State University graduates have?
$23,338 is the median federal student loan debt of West Virginia State University graduates, about $247 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 18% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at West Virginia State University?
39% of first-time, full-time students at West Virginia State University finish within 6 years. 57% 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 West Virginia State University?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (74 bachelor's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (34 bachelor's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (25 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 34 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.