Graduate school may be a critical step in your higher education, whether you are interested in expanding your knowledge, learning a specialization, or earning advanced credentials required by your profession. The best graduate schools in West Virginia offer advanced degrees, such as master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as opportunities for independent research, mentorships, and professional networking.
West Virginia has 20 public higher education institutions, all at a sticker price of $9,000 or less, making it one of the more affordable states to earn a degree. With over 25,000 students in attendance, West Virginia University is the largest and charges $9,000 in tuition. Aside from the community and state colleges, six other public universities have populations ranging from about 2,100 to just over 10,000, and all schools have a tuition rate of about $8,000.
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The state is also home to 12 private schools, eight of which are religiously affiliated. The University of Charleston is the largest private university, but its student population is still small. About 2,000 students take classes in fields such as chemistry, political science, and history, and the tuition totals $21,000. At $32,000 in tuition and fees, West Virginia Wesleyan College is the most expensive, but its student population is only slightly above 1,300.
As the only state contained entirely within the Appalachian range, West Virginia is rightfully nicknamed The Mountain State. Those who love the outdoors will feel at home hiking through the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve or skiing at Canaan Valley Ski Resort. History buffs can visit Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, where they can take a walk through life in the 1800s. In addition, the state offers over 30 private and public colleges and universities to those looking to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.
Check out the state’s top programs and see why West Virginia could be a good fit for your educational goals and budget.
There are 4 doctorate-granting graduate schools in West Virginia. Our ranking of the best graduate schools in the West Virginia is composed of both private and public schools. To be included, schools must be fully accredited institutions, and must offer doctoral degrees and a broad array of graduate degrees.
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
84%
Graduation
62%
Student body
25K
Median SAT/ACT
1130/24
West Virginia University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$9K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
50%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1045/22
Marshall University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$7K
Graduation
48%
Student body
35K
American Public University System’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Tuition + fees
$17K
Graduation
32%
Student body
<1K
Salem University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utiulized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
