2027 Best Value General Education Schools in West Virginia
[General Education](/majors/education/general-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general education education at a price that pays off.
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
Fairmont State University earned the #1 spot for value among general education schools in West Virginia. Set in the town of Fairmont, Fairmont State University is a mid-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,708, with out-of-state students paying around $18,924. 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.
Marshall University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in general education, landing the #2 spot this year. Marshall University is a large public school located in the city of Huntington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,162, with out-of-state students paying around $20,342. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $25,250. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Marshall University generally make around $49,939. Set against $25,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 96%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Potomac State College Of West Virginia University earned it the #3 place for general education. Located in the town of Keyser, Potomac State College Of West Virginia University is a small public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,280, while out-of-state students pay about $13,200. General Education graduates carry a median of $11,050 in student loans. Early-career general education graduates make about $42,670. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at American Public University System, which ranked #4. American Public University System is a very large private for-profit school located in the town of Charles Town. In-state tuition and fees average $8,400. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $23,438. Early-career general education graduates make about $62,404. That is a strong return on a $23,438 median debt.
Students looking for strong value in general education will find it at Shepherd University, which ranked #5. Located in the rural area of Shepherdstown, Shepherd University is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,056, with out-of-state students paying around $19,082. Students borrow a median of $23,326 to complete the general education program here. Early-career general education graduates make about $40,748. Set against $23,326 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Shepherd University admits about 97% of applicants.
Concord University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value general education schools. Located in the rural area of Athens, Concord University is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,664, compared with $22,000 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general education graduates is $20,214. Early-career general education graduates make about $47,257. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Concord University admits about 93% of applicants.
Glenville State College came in at #7 for value in general education this year. Glenville State College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Glenville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,578, compared with $11,354 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,967 to complete the general education program here. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Glenville State College generally make around $32,699. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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.
