Best Colleges in West Virginia
The Mountain State Has Many Peaks — and Perks
Come for education, stay for a career and the culture
Why not go somewhere you can scale a mountain while you’re making your way up to higher education? West Virginia is home to 43 colleges and universities that focus on research, medicine, and more. And if you’re interested in aerospace, biometrics, advanced energy, or chemicals and plastics, West Virginia has a thriving market for you to gain real-world work experience. Post-graduation, you won’t want to go anywhere. The unemployment rate is holding steady with the rest of the country,* and West Virginia is on USA Today’s 10 States With the Fastest Growing Economies list.
You’ll also want to stick around for the experiences you can’t get anywhere else. Known as the Mountain State, West Virginia is home to part of the Appalachian Mountains, which means you can take advantage of 800 miles of hiking, biking, rock climbing, and caving. There’s even more to see outside with forest covering 78% of the state.* West Virginia even has history etched into its land — with prehistoric burial mounds, oil and gas landmarks, and civil war monuments. Don’t just go to school in West Virginia, experience a new way of life.
*Bureau of Labor Statistics *wvcommerce.orgBest Four Year Universities in West Virginia
| Rank | School Name | Location | Description | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV |
West Virginia University offers 198 Degree programs. It's a large public university in a small city. In 2015, 6,852 students graduated with students earning 4,520 Bachelor's degrees, 1,668 Master's degrees, and 664 Doctoral degrees. | Based on 28 Reviews |
Read more: West Virginia University Reviews
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| 2 | Concord University | Athens, WV |
Concord University offers 44 Degree programs. It's a small public university in a far away town. In 2015, 532 students graduated with students earning 455 Bachelor's degrees, and 77 Master's degrees. |
Read more: Concord University Reviews
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| 3 | Marshall University | Huntington, WV |
Marshall University offers 207 Degree programs. It's a large public university in a small city. In 2015, 3,055 students graduated with students earning 1,747 Bachelor's degrees, 835 Master's degrees, 197 Doctoral degrees, 149 Certificates degrees, and 127 Associate's degrees. | Based on 16 Reviews |
Read more: Marshall University Reviews
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| 4 | University of Charleston | Charleston, WV |
University of Charleston offers 51 Degree programs. It's a small private university in a small city. In 2015, 462 students graduated with students earning 213 Bachelor's degrees, 141 Master's degrees, 70 Doctoral degrees, and 38 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: University of Charleston Reviews
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| 5 | Fairmont State University | Fairmont, WV |
Fairmont State University offers 48 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public university in a far away town. In 2015, 786 students graduated with students earning 602 Bachelor's degrees, 94 Master's degrees, and 90 Associate's degrees. | Based on 4 Reviews |
Read more: Fairmont State University Reviews
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| 6 | West Liberty University | West Liberty, WV |
West Liberty University offers 33 Degree programs. It's a small public university in a outlying rural. In 2015, 628 students graduated with students earning 512 Bachelor's degrees, 82 Master's degrees, and 34 Associate's degrees. | Based on 8 Reviews |
Read more: West Liberty University Reviews
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| 7 | West Virginia State University | Institute, WV |
West Virginia State University offers 29 Degree programs. It's a small public university in a mid sized suburb. In 2015, 455 students graduated with students earning 438 Bachelor's degrees, 17 Master's degrees. | Based on 8 Reviews |
Read more: West Virginia State University Reviews
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| 8 | Shepherd University | Shepherdstown, WV |
Shepherd University offers 51 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public university in a outlying town. In 2015, 872 students graduated with students earning 790 Bachelor's degrees, and 82 Master's degrees. | Based on 4 Reviews |
Read more: Shepherd University Reviews
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| 9 | Wheeling Jesuit University | Wheeling, WV |
Wheeling Jesuit University offers 58 Degree programs. It's a small private university in a small city. In 2015, 582 students graduated with students earning 268 Bachelor's degrees, 158 Master's degrees, 94 Doctoral degrees, and 62 Certificates degrees. | Based on 16 Reviews |
Read more: Wheeling Jesuit University Reviews
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| 10 | West Virginia Wesleyan College | Buckhannon, WV |
West Virginia Wesleyan College offers 121 Degree programs. It's a small private university in a remote town. In 2015, 341 students graduated with students earning 294 Bachelor's degrees, 47 Master's degrees. |
Read more: West Virginia Wesleyan College Reviews
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Best Community Colleges in West Virginia
| Rank | School Name | Location | Description | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Ridge Community and Technical College | Martinsburg, WV |
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College offers 67 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public college in a outlying rural. In 2015, 971 students graduated with students earning 487 Associate's degrees, and 484 Certificates degrees. | |||
| 2 | Pierpont Community and Technical College | Fairmont, WV |
Pierpont Community and Technical College offers 42 Degree programs. It's a small public college in a far away town. In 2015, 502 students graduated with students earning 364 Associate's degrees, and 138 Certificates degrees. | |||
| 3 | West Virginia Northern Community College | Wheeling, WV |
West Virginia Northern Community College offers 50 Degree programs. It's a small public college in a small city. In 2015, 502 students graduated with students earning 324 Associate's degrees, and 178 Certificates degrees. | Based on 4 Reviews | ||
| 4 | Carver Career Center | Charleston, WV |
Carver Career Center offers 27 Degree programs. It's a very small public college in a mid sized suburb. In 2015, 251 students graduated with students earning 197 Certificates degrees, and 54 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Carver Career Center Reviews
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| 5 | Mountain State College | Parkersburg, WV |
Mountain State College offers 9 Degree programs. It's a very small private college in a small city. In 2015, 31 students graduated with students earning 27 Associate's degrees, and 4 Certificates degrees. |
Read more: Mountain State College Reviews
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| 6 | West Virginia Business College-Wheeling | Wheeling, WV |
West Virginia Business College-Wheeling offers 14 Degree programs. It's a very small private college in a small city. In 2015, 64 students graduated with students earning 55 Associate's degrees, and 9 Certificates degrees. | |||
| 7 | Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College | Moorefield, WV |
Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College offers 28 Degree programs. It's a very small public college in a outlying rural. In 2015, 158 students graduated with students earning 93 Associate's degrees, and 65 Certificates degrees. | |||
| 8 | New River Community and Technical College | Beaver, WV |
New River Community and Technical College offers 39 Degree programs. It's a small public college in a small suburb. In 2015, 355 students graduated with students earning 232 Associate's degrees, and 123 Certificates degrees. | |||
| 9 | Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College | Mount Gay, WV |
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College offers 53 Degree programs. It's a small public college in a far away town. In 2015, 361 students graduated with students earning 263 Associate's degrees, and 98 Certificates degrees. | |||
| 10 | West Virginia Junior College-Charleston | Charleston, WV |
West Virginia Junior College-Charleston offers 12 Degree programs. It's a very small private college in a small city. In 2015, 107 students graduated with students earning 99 Associate's degrees, and 8 Certificates degrees. |
List of all Colleges in West Virginia
| School Logo | School Name | Average tuition | Student Teacher Ratio | Enrolled Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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West Virginia University Morgantown, WV |
2/5
|
14 : 1 | 28,776 |
|
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Concord University Athens, WV |
2/5
|
19 : 1 | 2,507 |
|
|
Marshall University Huntington, WV |
2/5
|
16 : 1 | 13,621 |
|
|
University of Charleston Charleston, WV |
5/5
|
17 : 1 | 2,327 |
|
|
Fairmont State University Fairmont, WV |
2/5
|
20 : 1 | 4,041 |
|
|
West Liberty University West Liberty, WV |
2/5
|
16 : 1 | 2,341 |
|
|
West Virginia State University Institute, WV |
2/5
|
22 : 1 | 3,166 |
|
|
Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV |
2/5
|
20 : 1 | 3,861 |
|
|
Wheeling Jesuit University Wheeling, WV |
5/5
|
12 : 1 | 1,385 |
|
|
West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, WV |
5/5
|
15 : 1 | 1,518 |
|
Alderson Broaddus University Philippi, WV |
5/5
|
17 : 1 | 1,154 |
|
Bluefield State College Bluefield, WV |
2/5
|
16 : 1 | 1,486 |
|
Davis & Elkins College Elkins, WV |
5/5
|
13 : 1 | 796 |
|
Bethany College Bethany, WV |
5/5
|
13 : 1 | 737 |
|
Glenville State College Glenville, WV |
2/5
|
24 : 1 | 1,732 |
|
Ohio Valley University Vienna, WV |
4/5
|
12 : 1 | 451 |
|
American Public University System Charles Town, WV |
2/5
|
51 : 1 | 52,361 |
|
West Virginia University Institute of Technology Montgomery, WV |
2/5
|
14 : 1 | 1,263 |
|
Appalachian Bible College Mount Hope, WV |
3/5
|
19 : 1 | 281 |
|
West Virginia University at Parkersburg Parkersburg, WV |
2/5
|
23 : 1 | 2,812 |
|
|
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Martinsburg, WV |
2/5
|
55 : 1 | 5,552 |
|
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Pierpont Community and Technical College Fairmont, WV |
2/5
|
25 : 1 | 2,182 |
|
|
West Virginia Northern Community College Wheeling, WV |
2/5
|
28 : 1 | 2,013 |
|
BridgeValley Community & Technical College South Charleston, WV |
2/5
|
19 : 1 | 2,503 |
|
|
B M Spurr School of Practical Nursing Glen Dale, WV | 12 : 1 | 35 |