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🎓 College profile

West Virginia University

WV · Public · Small city · 19,857 applicants 2023

Land-grant R1 Research
86% admit rate SAT 1010–1240 $20,273/yr at $110k+ income

🧭 A parent's read

  • Grades and scores convert directly to dollars here. This college publishes an automatic merit grid — hit the GPA/score tiers and the discount is guaranteed, no negotiation. Check the scholarship table below before assuming the sticker.
  • The payoff holds even at full price: roughly 5× over a decade. With no aid at all — the full in-state ~$26,415/yr — a decade of median earnings (~$55,939/yr) still runs about 5× the four-year cost. This payoff doesn't depend on qualifying for anything. (Out-of-state costs more.)
  • Ask the submit question deliberately. This college is test-optional — but at many such colleges, applicants who submit strong scores are admitted at meaningfully higher rates. “Optional” is a strategy decision, not a pass.

Composed from this page's data — every claim is backed by a number in the sections below.

Get your child's odds at West Virginia University Free Family Decision Report — Reach / Match / Likely + your real net price. West Virginia University starts already on the list. Start →

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Affordable for in-state families — net price averages ~$15,634/yr. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • Strong test/GPA students chasing merit aid — Foundation Scholarship or Climb Higher on offer (see merit-scholarship tab below)
  • In-state residents (tuition ~$10,104 — major value play)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Engineering (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1010, or ACT below 20 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)
  • Out-of-state tuition is 2.8× the in-state rate

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
17,385
20,000 and above
In-state tuitionThe published full price before any aid. Families who don't qualify for need-based aid — common above ~$110K income — pay this, minus any merit scholarships.
$10,104
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$28,608
+$18,504 vs in-state
Admit rateThe share of applicants a college accepts. Useful context, but your student's odds depend on their own grades and scores, not the average.
86.3%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
1010–1240
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
20–26
composite
Test policyApplicants choose whether to send SAT/ACT scores. At many such colleges, students who submit strong scores are still admitted at higher rates.
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earningsMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$55,939
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$45,181
Earnings, 10 yrs after entryMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$55,939
4-year completionThe share of students who finish a bachelor's in four years. Nationally barely half do — and a fifth year quietly adds a full extra year of cost to the real price.
65%
Median debt (completers)The federal-loan balance of the typical graduating borrower. Families who pay cash aren't counted, so read it as "among those who borrowed."
$22,500

💰 The real cost

What families at your income actually pay

Above $110K income — where most Reach families sit — aid-receiving families average $20,273/yr at West Virginia University; families who don't qualify for aid pay the full ~$26,415/yr. Lower brackets pay less — the full ladder is below. One caveat, once: every bracket figure here averages only the families in that bracket who received aid — it says nothing about whether your family will qualify.

🔎 Earning over $110K? You're above the top federal bracket — the median family headed by a 45-to-54-year-old (the prime college-parent years) earned about $134K in 2024, and the federal data lumps everyone from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Whether you'll get need aidGrant money based on your family's finances (via FAFSA and the college's own forms), not your student's stats. at this income is entirely college-specific: a few heavily-endowed schools meet full need well past $150K, while many others give little above the brackets shown — there, merit scholarships, where offered, become the realistic lever.

Start your Family Decision Report →

Your odds + estimated net price across your whole college list — then confirm the exact figure with West Virginia University's own Net Price Calculator ↗ (10–15 min; have your tax return handy).

Family income $110k+ most Reach families
$20,273/yr
Family income $75-110k
$18,710/yr
Family income $48-75k
$14,179/yr
Family income $30-48k
$12,501/yr
Family income $0-30k
$9,450/yr

📈 The payoffTen years of typical earnings divided by four years of cost. A 3× means a decade of median pay covers the cost three times over — check both the full-price and with-aid versions to see which applies to you., both ways

5.3× at full price 8.9× with aid
Full price, no aidThe all-in yearly price — tuition, housing, food, books, fees — before any aid. This is the real "full price," not just the tuition line. (4 yrs, in-state)
$105,660
~$26,415/yr all-in (out-of-state runs higher)
Aid recipients pay (4 yrs)
$62,536
$15,634/yr average
10-yr earnings total
$559,390
$55,939/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup the cost
1.9 yrs
at full price (1.1 with aid), at the median earnings rate

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41–NPT45; Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates; suppressed brackets = small cohorts; the $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — the brackets haven't been refreshed since the early 2010s). Payoff multiple = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (4-yr cost); full price is the published cost of attendance, largely in-state for publics; earnings are 10 years after enrollment, all majors combined.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at West Virginia University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what West Virginia University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
754 degrees · 30.1%
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Engineering
607 degrees · 24.2%
Engineering majors land high-paying technical roles. Top-earning sub-disciplines: petroleum, chemical, computer engineering.
3. Health Professions
463 degrees · 18.5%
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
4. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
393 degrees · 15.7%
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
5. Social Sciences
287 degrees · 11.5%
Economics + poli sci sub-disciplines pay much more than sociology + anthropology.

💼 What those majors earn here

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — West Virginia University's own graduates, not national averages.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Mining and Mineral Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 17 $85,897 $109,619
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 50 $79,662 $99,542
Industrial Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 105 $75,606 $99,180
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 41 $76,314 $99,048
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 65 $74,159 $98,277
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 34 $69,875 $96,503
Management Information Systems and Services. Bachelor's Degree 50 $62,127 $95,324
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 79 $72,210 $94,750
Petroleum Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 64 $68,913 $91,142
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 182 $71,504 $90,461

Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →

⭐ Merit aidScholarship money awarded for grades or test scores, not financial need — at many colleges it's automatic at certain GPA/score levels.

What your test score unlocks at West Virginia University

Score-or-merit-based scholarships published by the institution. Stackable in most cases — confirm with the financial aid office.

Award Annual award Score gate GPA gate Renewable
Foundation Scholarship
Foundation · in_state
 Full cost of attendance + $4,500 stipend 1360+ SAT 3.8+ Yes
Climb Higher
Level 1 (Morgantown OOS) · out_of_state
 $17,000/yr 1360+ SAT 3.8+ Yes
Neil S. Bucklew
Bucklew · in_state
 $15,000/yr 1360+ SAT 3.8+ Yes
Climb Higher
Level 2 (Morgantown OOS) · out_of_state
 $14,000/yr — 3.8+ Yes
Climb Higher
Level 3 (Morgantown OOS) · out_of_state
 $11,000/yr — 3.5+ Yes
Climb Higher
Level 4 (Morgantown OOS) · out_of_state
 $8,000/yr — 3.0+ Yes
Climb Higher
Level 1 (Morgantown) · in_state
 $5,000/yr 1360+ SAT 3.8+ Yes
Climb Higher
Level 2 (Morgantown) · in_state
 $3,500/yr — 3.8+ Yes
Climb Higher
Level 3 (Morgantown) · in_state
 $2,500/yr — 3.5+ Yes
Climb Higher
Level 4 (Morgantown) · in_state
 $1,500/yr — 3.0+ Yes
Regional Bucklew
Regional Bucklew · in_state
 $2,000-$4,000 1300+ SAT 3.7+ Yes

See all merit scholarships across colleges + 13 national awards on /merit-scholarships →

See which merit tiers your child already clears — free Family Decision Report Start →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at West Virginia University

CS degrees (annual)
97
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

Alternatives to West Virginia University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools publish merit scholarships your family can plan around — your kid’s stats could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 stats-based merit scholarships
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
30 stats-based + 1 competitive scholarships
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
21 stats-based + 2 competitive scholarships
💰 Lower full price
Similar selectivity, but a meaningfully lower full sticker price — the comparison that matters most for families who won't qualify for much need-based aid.
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr full price (in-state) · $17,247 less before aid
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$11,837/yr full price (in-state) · $14,578 less before aid
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
GA · Public
$13,956/yr full price (in-state) · $12,459 less before aid
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state and similar selectivity, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
West Virginia State University
WV · Public
96% admit rate (vs 86% here)
Marshall University
WV · Public
96% admit rate (vs 86% here)
Fairmont State University
WV · Public
99% admit rate (vs 86% here)

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