2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia
28
Colleges
$40,560
Avg Salary*
27%
Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
There are lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Top West Virginia Colleges ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
After analyzing 28 schools in West Virginia, we came up with our list of those that offered the highest quality education. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on over 20 objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as student-to-faculty ratio, average graduate earnings, and graduation rate.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Custom Rankings
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering!
Top Colleges in West Virginia
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found American Public University System to be the best school for overall quality in West Virginia in this year’s ranking. American Public University System is a large private for-profit school located in Charles Town, West Virginia that handed out 14,306 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from American Military University go into careers with an average salary of $59,367 during the early years of their career.
Full American Public University System Report
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at West Virginia University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in West Virginia. This large public school is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and it awarded 6,623 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $51,780 during the early years of their career..
Read full report on West Virginia University
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of Charleston helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in West Virginia. UC is located in Charleston, West Virginia and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 985 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UC go into careers with an average salary of $48,303 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on University of Charleston
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Marshall University. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia list. Marshall University is located in Huntington, West Virginia and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,787 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $41,700 during the early years of their career..
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wheeling University. It ranked #5 on our 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia list. Wheeling University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheeling, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 213 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Wheeling University make an average of $53,132 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Wheeling University Report
With a ranking of #6, West Virginia Wesleyan College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Buckhannon, West Virginia, and it awarded 282 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $46,444 during the early years of their career..
Read full report on West Virginia Wesleyan College
With a ranking of #7, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia list. Blue Ridge Community and Technical College is a small public school located in Martinsburg, West Virginia that handed out 740 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Blue Ridge Community and Technical College make an average of $38,729 per year during the early years of their career.
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West Liberty University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking. West Liberty University is a small public school situated in West Liberty, West Virginia. It awarded 589 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from West Liberty University go into careers with an average salary of $41,370 during the early years of their career.
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With a ranking of #9, Potomac State College of West Virginia University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia list. Located in Keyser, West Virginia, the small public school awarded 298 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from WVU Potomac State College make an average of $51,780 per year during the early years of their career.
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With a ranking of #10, Alderson Broaddus University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia list. Located in Philippi, West Virginia, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 203 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Alderson Broaddus University make an average of $44,617 a year.
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Shepherd University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking. Located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, the small public school handed out 630 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Shepherd University go into careers with an average salary of $45,723 during the early years of their career.
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Pierpont Community and Technical College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list. Located in Fairmont, West Virginia, the small public school awarded 552 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
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Mountwest Community and Technical College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #13. This small public school is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and it awarded 401 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from MCTC go into careers with an average salary of $31,949 during the early years of their career.
Full Mountwest Community and Technical College Report
Fairmont State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #14. Fairmont State University is a small public school located in Fairmont, West Virginia that handed out 920 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Fairmont State go into careers with an average salary of $35,930 during the early years of their career.
Full Fairmont State University Report
With a ranking of #15, BridgeValley Community & Technical College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia list. BridgeValley Community & Technical College is located in South Charleston, West Virginia and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 344 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from BridgeValley Community & Technical College make an average of $34,142 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on BridgeValley Community & Technical College
Concord University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list. Concord University is a public institution located in Athens, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 466 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $37,985 during the early years of their career..
Full Concord University Report
West Virginia University at Parkersburg came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking. Located in Parkersburg, West Virginia, the small public school handed out 754 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University at Parkersburg make an average of $31,363 per year during the early years of their career.
Full West Virginia University at Parkersburg Report
Bluefield State College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking. Bluefield State College is a small public school located in Bluefield, West Virginia that handed out 281 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Bluefield State College go into careers with an average salary of $35,878 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Bluefield State College
West Virginia University Institute of Technology came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking. West Virginia University Tech is a small public school situated in Beckley, West Virginia. It awarded 218 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University Tech is $51,780 during the early years of their career.
Full West Virginia University Institute of Technology Report
With a ranking of #20, Salem University did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia list. This small private for-profit school is located in Salem, West Virginia, and it awarded 349 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Salem is $32,796 during the early years of their career.
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West Virginia Northern Community College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list. WVNCC is located in Wheeling, West Virginia and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 403 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from WVNCC go into careers with an average salary of $28,988 during the early years of their career.
Full West Virginia Northern Community College Report
West Virginia State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #22. WVSU is a public institution located in Institute, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 420 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from WVSU make an average of $34,584 per year during the early years of their career.
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Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking. Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College is located in Moorefield, West Virginia and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 86 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $31,119 during the early years of their career..
Full Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College Report
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College ranked #24 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list. Southern is located in Mount Gay, West Virginia and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 490 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Southern make an average of $27,394 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Report
With a ranking of #25, Glenville State College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges in West Virginia list. Glenville State College is a public institution located in Glenville, West Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 325 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Glenville State College make an average of $36,583 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Glenville State College
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