by our College Data Analytics TeamThis overview lays out the cost of attending West Virginia University, from sticker cost of attendance and projected degree cost to net price, debt at graduation, and aid breakdowns.
If you want to dig into a particular figure, jump to any section below:
Attendance costs at West Virginia University fell between $23,678.00 ranging to $42,182.00 based on in-state versus out-of-state status.
The lower figure reflects the in-state rate and the higher figure the out-of-state rate: close to $23,678.00 in-state versus $42,182.00 for those paying out-of-state rates.
The three scenarios below move from the full sticker price, to the net price after average aid, to the net price low-income students typically pay.
| Tuition and fees | $10,104.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $13,574.00 |
| Total cost | $23,678.00 |
| That is 23% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $23,678.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$10,781.00 |
| Net price | $12,897.00 |
| That is 33% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $23,678.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$16,965.00 |
| Net price | $6,713.00 |
| That is 65% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $28,608.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $13,574.00 |
| Total cost | $42,182.00 |
| That is 119% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $42,182.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$10,781.00 |
| Net price | $31,401.00 |
| That is 63% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $42,182.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$16,965.00 |
| Net price | $25,217.00 |
| That is 31% above the national average net price. | |
| Go deeper on the components with tuition and fees plus room and board. |
Published costs have climbed year over year by around 4.2% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. The tables below project the cost forward across a full degree, side by side for a low-income student with aid, a typical student with average aid, and a student paying full sticker price with no aid. Loan figures amortise the projected total over ten years at 6.8%.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Freshman year | $6,992.00 | $13,433.00 | $24,662.00 |
| Senior year | $7,901.00 | $15,179.00 | $27,868.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $29,761.00 | $57,177.00 | $104,973.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $11,338.00 | $21,782.00 | $39,991.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $342.00 | $658.00 | $1,208.00 |
| Total amount paid | $41,099.00 | $78,959.00 | $144,964.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Freshman year | $6,992.00 | $13,433.00 | $24,662.00 |
| Senior year | $7,283.00 | $13,992.00 | $25,688.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $14,275.00 | $27,425.00 | $50,350.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $5,438.00 | $10,448.00 | $19,181.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $164.00 | $316.00 | $579.00 |
| Total amount paid | $19,713.00 | $37,873.00 | $69,531.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Freshman year | $26,265.00 | $32,706.00 | $43,936.00 |
| Senior year | $29,679.00 | $36,957.00 | $49,646.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $111,796.00 | $139,212.00 | $187,008.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $42,590.00 | $53,035.00 | $71,243.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,287.00 | $1,602.00 | $2,152.00 |
| Total amount paid | $154,386.00 | $192,246.00 | $258,251.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Freshman year | $26,265.00 | $32,706.00 | $43,936.00 |
| Senior year | $27,357.00 | $34,066.00 | $45,762.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $53,622.00 | $66,772.00 | $89,698.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $20,428.00 | $25,438.00 | $34,172.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $617.00 | $768.00 | $1,032.00 |
| Total amount paid | $74,051.00 | $92,210.00 | $123,869.00 |
Jump to the net-price detail in the net price section below.
Net price reflects the true cost to attend after grant and scholarship aid is deducted. This is the more honest cost figure for most families, since it accounts for institutional and federal aid.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $15,634.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $12,997.00 |
Net price is far from uniform: lower-income families typically pay much less after aid. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $9,217.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $10,199.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $12,379.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $15,708.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $17,130.00 |
Use West Virginia University Net Price Calculator, or reach out to the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the grants & scholarships detail.
The median graduating debt at West Virginia University comes to $15,500.00, placing the school in the Low ($10-20k) debt-load classification.
Across borrowers, debt at graduation distributes like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,106.00 |
| 25th | $5,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $15,500.00 |
| 75th | $26,250.00 |
| 90th | $32,000.00 |
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles reflects how variable debt outcomes are at this school.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student loan debt page.
Median debt at graduation differs meaningfully across income brackets. Below, debt is broken out by low, middle, and high family income:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $14,250.00 |
| Middle income | $15,250.00 |
| High income | $16,500.00 |
First-generation students frequently graduate with different debt than continuing-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $15,146.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $16,000.00 |
Pell Grants are the largest source of federal need-based aid for undergrads. Looking at Pell recipients versus non-recipients tells us how debt is distributed across need.
The median debt difference between Pell-eligible and non-Pell graduates of West Virginia University stands at $1,586.00. Federal data flags this school for Pell-related debt inequity.
The Department of Education default-rate tier for West Virginia University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 8.6% |
To give some context for these rates, Stafford loans disbursed at West Virginia University add up to $2,149,502,786.00 covering 93,044 disbursements.
Veterans and active-duty servicemembers can tap dedicated federal aid programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 541 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $8,917.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 224 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,578.00 |
Explore GI Bill and military aid in detail on the veterans benefits detail.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about West Virginia University, consider the following:
Explore the related pages below for a deeper look at the cost picture:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.