Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Shepherd University ranked first and West Virginia University ranked second for the best colleges in West Virginia. West Virginia, often called the "Mountain State," is known for its stunning natural landscapes, outdoor adventures, and cultural heritage. Check out their country roads to find out what John Denver was singing about!
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$8,418
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$49,358
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate50%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,347
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$55,939
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate63%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$8,370
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$46,354
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate53%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$10,794
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$46,857
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate51%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$21,383
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$55,774
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate49%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,520
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$57,949
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate94%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,858
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$51,593
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate55%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$9,701
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$42,703
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate42%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,855
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$44,512
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate42%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$11,791
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$40,492
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate39%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$15,499
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$43,296
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate48%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$20,031
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$43,411
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate45%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$17,250
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$39,315
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate36%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$10,717
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$38,217
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate48%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
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Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in West Virginia for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$35,052
Certificate$49,662
Associate$42,129
Bachelor$57,665
Master$62,589
Cost of attending college in West Virginia
In-state-tuition$14,969
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$19,571
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in West Virginia
In West Virginia the most popular degrees are Business Administration, Health & Fitness, and Criminal Justice. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Business Administration 3,993graduates
2Health & Fitness 1,172graduates
3Criminal Justice 1,064graduates
4Liberal Arts and Sciences 960graduates
5General Psychology 897graduates
6Registered Nursing 894graduates
7Homeland Security 753graduates
8Business and Commerce 657graduates
9Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations 576graduates
10Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. 572graduates
Fastest growing careers
West Virginia job growth
8.2%
Nurse Practitioners
73.4%
Physical Therapist Assistants
55.2%
Occupational Therapy Assistants
51.7%
Hearing Aid Specialists
50%
Physician Assistants
48.9%
Information Security Analysts
39.1%
Massage Therapists
37.5%
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
36.7%
Audiologists
36.4%
Medical and Health Services Managers
35.7%
Best bachelor’s degrees in West Virginia
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Program NamesEconomic Score
1Engineering Fields 0.66
2Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. 0.92
Best colleges for social mobility in West Virginia
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in West Virginia are shown below.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
23.2%
Filters
West Virginia
8.2%
