West Virginia University
West Virginia University 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
West Virginia University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Grad Schools in West Virginia 2026
- #1 West Virginia's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #1 Best Online MBAs West Virginia
- #1 Best Research Universities in West Virginia 2026
- #1 WV Public Colleges
- #1 Most Affordable Colleges in West Virginia
- #1 Best Colleges in West Virginia 2026
- #1 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #3 20 Most Affordable Online PhD of Business Administration Degree Programs
- #9 Most Affordable Master's in Counseling Degree Programs
- #10 Most Affordable Online PhD of Education Degree Programs
- #19 Best Online One Year MBAs
About West Virginia University
According to Wikipedia, West Virginia University is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley, Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser, and clinical campuses for the university's medical and school at Charleston Area Medical Center in Charleston and the Eastern Division at the WVU Medicine Berkeley and Jefferson Medical Centers. WVU Extension Service provides outreach with offices in all 55 West Virginia counties.
West Virginia University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19,857 | 89% | 83% | 66% | 1115 | 23 |
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 West Virginia University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $10,752 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $15,015 |
| 30K - 48K | $12,394 |
| 48K - 75K | $13,965 |
| 75K - 110K | $18,398 |
| 110K+ | $24,729 |
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 West Virginia University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former West Virginia University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $62,910 a year, and 93% 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.
West Virginia University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 27,150 | 20,425 | 6,725 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is West Virginia University?
West Virginia University is located at PO Box 6201, Morgantown, WV 26506.
How Safe is West Virginia University?
Relative to its enrollment, West Virginia University has a violent crime rate of 0.14% and a property crime rate of 0.11%. Morgantown has a violent crime rate of 0.22% and a property crime rate of 1.98%. 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 West Virginia University Known For?
West Virginia University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Nursing
- Medical
- History
- Criminal Justice
- Education
- Engineering
- Biology
- Mathematics
- Business
- Law
- Earth Sciences
- Psychology
- Economics
- Communications
- Computer Science
- Political Science
- Social Work
- Philosophy
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Literature
- Anthropology
- Sociology
West Virginia University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much West Virginia University'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
West Virginia University ranks #83 in the U.S. and #174 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #86 in the U.S. and #245 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #120 in the U.S. and #315 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #123 in the U.S. and #189 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #127 in the U.S. and #469 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #127 in the U.S. and #571 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #138 in the U.S. and #464 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #141 in the U.S. and #523 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #146 in the U.S. and #434 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #152 in the U.S. and #439 worldwide for influence in Law.
West Virginia University ranks #159 in the U.S. and #648 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #165 in the U.S. and #388 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #169 in the U.S. and #755 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #178 in the U.S. and #620 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #184 in the U.S. and #715 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #186 in the U.S. and #716 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #204 in the U.S. and #478 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #207 in the U.S. and #690 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #209 in the U.S. and #883 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #224 in the U.S. and #1059 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #232 in the U.S. and #674 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #280 in the U.S. and #881 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWest Virginia University ranks #297 in the U.S. and #1054 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWho Are West Virginia University's Most Influential Alumni?
West Virginia University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Nursing, Criminal Justice, and Medical. Here are some of West Virginia University's most famous alumni:
- Steven C. Hayes
- An American psychologist.
- Katherine Johnson
- An African-American mathematician.
- Jerry West
- An American basketball player and executive .
- Henry T. Yang
- An Engineer and university chancellor.
- Steven E. Shreve
- An American mathematician.
- Philander C. Knox
- An American lawyer, banker, and politician .
- Victor Ernest Shelford
- An American zoologist and ecologist .
- Charles M. Vest
- An American mechanical engineer .
- Steve Harvey
- An American television presenter, comedian, actor, and author.
- Jayne Anne Phillips
- An American writer.
- Don Knotts
- An American actor and stand-up comedian .
- Ivan R. Schwab
- An American ophthalmologist.
Who Are West Virginia University's Most Influential Faculty?
West Virginia University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Nursing, Criminal Justice, and Medical. Here are some of West Virginia University's most famous faculty:
- William I. Brustein
- An American historian.
- Christopher Coyne
- An American economics professor.
- Caroline Randall Williams
- An American writer.
- Snehalata V. Huzurbazar
- An American statistician.
- Amy H. Herring
- An American biostatistician.
- Jane Grimwood
- A British microbiologist.
- Ingrid Stairs
- A Canadian astronomer.
- Paulo Freire
- A Portuguese astronomer.
- Ali Rezai
- A Neurosurgeon.
- Adam Jay Harrison
- An American inventor .
- Ben Doller
- An American writer.
- Katie Fallon
- An American writer.
