2027 Best Value General Education Schools in West Virginia

[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/education-general/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools to find the best return on investment for general education students.
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2027 Best Value General Education Schools in West Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Education Schools
For return on investment in general education, no school beat Fairmont State University this year. Set in the town of Fairmont, Fairmont State University is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,708 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,924 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $22,760 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $40,931. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 99% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Marshall University earned it the #2 place for general education. Set in the city of Huntington, Marshall University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,162 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,342. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $25,250. Early-career general education graduates make about $49,939. That is a strong return on a $25,250 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
Potomac State College Of West Virginia University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the town of Keyser, Potomac State College Of West Virginia University is a small public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,280, while out-of-state students pay about $13,200. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $11,050. Early-career general education graduates make about $42,670. Set against $11,050 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at American Public University System, which ranked #4. Set in the town of Charles Town, American Public University System is a very large private for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $8,400 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $23,438. General Education graduates of American Public University System earn a median of $62,404 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,438 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Shepherd University earned it the #5 place for general education. Set in the rural area of Shepherdstown, Shepherd University is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $9,056 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,082. General Education graduates carry a median of $23,326 in student loans. General Education graduates of Shepherd University earn a median of $40,748 early in their careers. Set against $23,326 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Shepherd University admits about 97% of applicants.
Concord University placed #6 among the best values for general education. Located in the rural area of Athens, Concord University is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $10,664 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,000 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $20,214. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Concord University generally make around $47,257. That is a strong return on a $20,214 median debt. The acceptance rate is 93%.
Glenville State College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value general education schools. Located in the rural area of Glenville, Glenville State College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,578, with out-of-state students paying around $11,354. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $25,967. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Glenville State College generally make around $32,699. Set against $25,967 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
More General Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.