Bethany College
Bethany College at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Bethany College Featured Rankings
About Bethany College
According to Wikipedia, Bethany College is a private liberal arts college in Bethany, West Virginia. Founded in 1840 by Alexander Campbell of the Restoration Movement, who gained support by the Virginia legislature, Bethany College was the first institution of higher education in what is now West Virginia.
Bethany College Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,435 | 59% | 54% | 48% |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Bethany College Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $38,896 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $18,741 |
| 30K - 48K | $18,887 |
| 48K - 75K | $18,361 |
| 75K - 110K | $24,251 |
| 110K+ | $29,704 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Bethany College Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Bethany College students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $49,672 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Bethany College 's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 688 | 661 | 27 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Bethany College ?
Bethany College is located at 31 E Campus Dr, Bethany, WV 26032.
How Safe is Bethany College ?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Bethany College publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Bethany College has a violent crime rate of 0.63% and a property crime rate of 0.78%. Bethany has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property (including theft) crime rate of less than 0.01%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Bethany College Known For?
Bethany College is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Mathematics
- Education
- Literature
- Political Science
- History
- Communications
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Social Work
- Economics
- Criminal Justice
Bethany College 's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Bethany College 's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Bethany College ranks #609 in the U.S. and #2763 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesBethany College ranks #677 in the U.S. and #2965 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesBethany College ranks #728 in the U.S. and #1888 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesBethany College ranks #776 in the U.S. and #3648 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesBethany College ranks #890 in the U.S. and #3501 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesBethany College ranks #967 in the U.S. and #4187 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesBethany College ranks #978 in the U.S. and #2947 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesBethany College ranks #1060 in the U.S. and #4566 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesBethany College ranks #1130 in the U.S. and #3581 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesBethany College ranks #1208 in the U.S. and #4586 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesBethany College ranks #1363 in the U.S. and #5364 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesBethany College ranks #1371 in the U.S. and #5459 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesBethany College ranks #1477 in the U.S. and #4664 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesBethany College ranks #1497 in the U.S. and #3722 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesBethany College ranks #1647 in the U.S. and #7537 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesBethany College ranks #2008 in the U.S. and #3982 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWho Are Bethany College 's Most Influential Alumni?
Bethany College 's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Literature, Law, and Psychology. Here are some of Bethany College 's most famous alumni:
- Thomas Buergenthal
- A Slovak born Holocaust survivor, American jurist and judge on the International Court of Justice.
- Champ Clark
- An American politician .
- Caroline Gordon
- A Novelist, literary critic.
- Edgar Odell Lovett
- A President of Rice University .
- William H. Macy
- An American actor.
- Shane Douglas
- An American professional wrestler and promoter.
- George Albee
- An American psychologist.
- Frances McDormand
- An American actress.
- Jeffrey L. Seglin
- An American journalist and author.
- Lawrence B. Slobodkin
- An American scientist .
- Tom Poston
- An American actor .
- Richard Montgomery Gano
- A Confederate Army general .
