2027 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in West Virginia
[Liberal Arts](/majors/liberal-arts-sciences-humanities/liberal-arts-and-general-studies/liberal-arts/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 13 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for liberal arts students.
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2027 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools in West Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in liberal arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools
For return on investment in liberal arts, no school beat West Virginia University At Parkersburg this year. West Virginia University At Parkersburg is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Parkersburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,476, with out-of-state students paying around $9,424. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $15,084. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from West Virginia University At Parkersburg generally make around $33,159. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Bridgevalley Community And Technical College earned it the #2 place for liberal arts. Located in the suburb of South Charleston, Bridgevalley Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $5,800, with out-of-state students paying around $12,428. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $6,750. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from Bridgevalley Community And Technical College generally make around $23,902. Set against $6,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at New River Community And Technical College earned it the #3 place for liberal arts. New River Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the rural area of Beaver. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,156, compared with $9,646 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $8,187. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from New River Community And Technical College generally make around $44,588. Set against $8,187 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #4 makes Blue Ridge Community And Technical College one of the best values for liberal arts. Set in the rural area of Martinsburg, Blue Ridge Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,752, compared with $8,808 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $17,500. Soon after graduation, liberal arts degree recipients from Blue Ridge Community And Technical College generally make around $32,872. Set against $17,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in liberal arts will find it at Marshall University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of Huntington, Marshall University is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,162, while out-of-state students pay about $20,342. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $29,248. Liberal Arts graduates of Marshall University earn a median of $32,282 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,248 median debt. Marshall University admits about 96% of applicants.
West Virginia Northern Community College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value liberal arts schools. Located in the city of Wheeling, West Virginia Northern Community College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,706, while out-of-state students pay about $12,698. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $14,369. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $22,166. Set against $14,369 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Mountwest Community And Technical College ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value liberal arts schools. Mountwest Community And Technical College is a small public school located in the suburb of Huntington. Students from in state pay about $4,938 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,304 for out-of-state students. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $11,500 in student loans. Liberal Arts graduates of Mountwest Community And Technical College earn a median of $43,753 early in their careers. Set against $11,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Eastern West Virginia Community And Technical College earned the #8 position for value in liberal arts this year. Eastern West Virginia Community And Technical College is a small public school located in the rural area of Moorefield. Students from in state pay about $4,722 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for liberal arts graduates is $11,500. Liberal Arts graduates of Eastern West Virginia Community And Technical College earn a median of $28,134 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $11,500 median debt.
Pierpont Community And Technical College earned the #9 position for value in liberal arts this year. Pierpont Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Fairmont. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,762, with out-of-state students paying around $13,660. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $18,366 in student loans. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $43,759. Set against $18,366 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Potomac State College Of West Virginia University earned the #10 position for value in liberal arts this year. Located in the town of Keyser, Potomac State College Of West Virginia University is a small public university. Students from in state pay about $5,280 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $13,200. Liberal Arts graduates carry a median of $18,500 in student loans. Liberal Arts graduates of Potomac State College Of West Virginia University earn a median of $24,874 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $18,500 median debt.
Southern West Virginia Community And Technical College earned the #11 position for value in liberal arts this year. Southern West Virginia Community And Technical College is a small public school located in the town of Logan. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,136, with out-of-state students paying around $7,872. Median earnings reach $32,153 ten years out.
Glenville State College earned the #12 position for value in liberal arts this year. Set in the rural area of Glenville, Glenville State College is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,578, compared with $11,354 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $24,647 to complete the liberal arts program here. Liberal Arts graduates of Glenville State College earn a median of $25,428 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
West Virginia University earned the #13 position for value in liberal arts this year. Located in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $10,104, while out-of-state students pay about $28,608. Students borrow a median of $18,500 to complete the liberal arts program here. Early-career liberal arts graduates make about $24,874. That is a strong return on a $18,500 median debt. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.
More Liberal Arts Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 13 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.
