West Virginia State University
Institute, WV · Public · Midsize suburb · STATE · WVSU
Public institution in Institute, WV · 1,328 undergraduates · 96% acceptance rate · $40,492 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 17%Average net price
- Top 18%Cost of attendance
- Top 24%In-state tuition & fees
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $10,191336th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $9,049494th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $14,623532nd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $19,906366th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $23,3381,083rd lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $40,4921,597th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $32,8491,657th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 33.5%1,687th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 63.2%1,505th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 96.4%1,455th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 979975th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 1,3281,192nd largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 12.0:1794th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 17.6%1,844th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 224 mi (CLT)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 23 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| EconomicsSocial Sciences | bachelors | $45,529 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $33,258 | $33,993 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $32,391 | $29,141 |
| Social WorkPublic Administration | bachelors | $30,650 | $29,685 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesLiberal Arts | bachelors | $29,685 | $28,816 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralEnglish Language & Literature | bachelors | $29,141 | $20,140 |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $27,295 | $18,771 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $27,254 | $27,504 |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | $25,194 | $26,739 |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $24,035 | — |
| History | bachelors | $14,935 | $18,401 |
| Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
- A Historically Black College or University (HBCU)source
- Founded in 1891source
- Athletic nickname: "Yellow Jackets"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: Black and Goldsource
- Mascot: Stingersource
- Motto: "/ (Latin)"source
- Formerly known as "West Virginia Colored Institute" (1891–1915)source
- Formerly known as "West Virginia Collegiate Institute" (1915–1929)source
- Formerly known as "West Virginia State College" (1929–2004)source
- Athletic conference: MECsource
- Fight song: ""Hail to the Team""source
- Notable alum: Katherine Johnsonsource
- Notable alum: Antoine Fuquasource
- Notable alum: Paul Dooleysource
Athletics — 10 sports
NCAA Division II with football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $3,084,967 (M $1,814,417 · W $1,270,550)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Other Sports
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitewvstateu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 237899)
- Compare colleges in WVRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in West VirginiaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: West Virginia State University vs Concord UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 10 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.