by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in West Virginia, it can be hard to know where to start. We have ranked **25** colleges by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
So you can compare your options, College Factual analyzed 25 colleges across over 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Your ideal college depends on your goals. Drill down by location and field of study, or explore other rankings below. You can also browse by degree level:
Looking to pit your favorite colleges against each other? Try our tool College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter most to you.
Explore the leading colleges below:
Our analysis found West Virginia University to be the best college in West Virginia. This public school is set in Morgantown, WV. West Virginia University graduates 64% of students within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,104, compared with $28,608 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $51,750 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $23,772.
The strong outcomes at University Of Charleston earned it the #2 place in West Virginia. University Of Charleston is a private not-for-profit school based in Charleston, WV. The six-year graduation rate is 44%. In-state tuition and fees run about $22,617. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $64,407. The median student debt is $22,646.
You'll be in good company at Shepherd University, which ranked #3 this year. Shepherd University is a public school based in Shepherdstown, WV. Shepherd University graduates 51% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,056, with out-of-state students paying around $19,082. Graduates go on to earn a median of $40,748 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $23,326 in student loans.
A rank of #4 makes American Public University System one of the top colleges in West Virginia. Located in Charles Town, WV, American Public University System is a private for-profit institution. American Public University System posts a six-year graduation rate of 47%. Students from in state pay about $8,400 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $57,404 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $23,438.
A rank of #5 makes Marshall University one of the top colleges in West Virginia. This public school is set in Huntington, WV. Marshall University graduates 51% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,162, while out-of-state students pay about $20,342. Graduates go on to earn a median of $52,481 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $25,250 in student loans.
Fairmont State University landed the #6 spot in West Virginia this year. Located in Fairmont, WV, Fairmont State University is a public institution. About 44% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $8,708, compared with $18,924 for out-of-state students. Fairmont State University graduates report median early-career earnings of $45,920. Graduates carry a median of $26,447 in student loans.
Davis And Elkins College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Located in Elkins, WV, Davis And Elkins College is a private not-for-profit institution. Davis And Elkins College posts a six-year graduation rate of 39%. In-state tuition and fees average $31,820. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $71,201. Davis And Elkins College students take on a median of $26,250 in debt.
West Virginia Wesleyan College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Buckhannon, WV, West Virginia Wesleyan College is a private not-for-profit institution. West Virginia Wesleyan College graduates 57% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $34,090 in tuition and fees. West Virginia Wesleyan College graduates report median early-career earnings of $47,784. Graduates carry a median of $26,857 in student loans.
Wheeling Jesuit University landed the #9 spot in West Virginia this year. Based in Wheeling, WV, Wheeling Jesuit University is a private not-for-profit institution. Wheeling Jesuit University graduates 23% of students within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $29,875. Median early-career earnings reach $38,212. Graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
Potomac State College Of West Virginia University did well this year, earning the #10 position. Based in Keyser, WV, Potomac State College Of West Virginia University is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $5,280, compared with $13,200 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $42,670 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $19,858 to complete a degree here.
West Virginia University Institute Of Technology came in at #11 in this year's ranking. Located in Beckley, WV, West Virginia University Institute Of Technology is a public institution. About 33% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $8,424, compared with $21,072 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $50,754. The median student debt is $24,864.
West Liberty University came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in West Liberty, WV. The six-year graduation rate is 56%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $8,893, with out-of-state students paying around $17,442. West Liberty University graduates report median early-career earnings of $48,761. West Liberty University students take on a median of $27,144 in debt.
Pierpont Community And Technical College placed #13 among the best colleges in West Virginia. Located in Fairmont, WV, Pierpont Community And Technical College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $5,762, with out-of-state students paying around $13,660. Pierpont Community And Technical College graduates report median early-career earnings of $43,759. The median student debt is $16,268.
Bethany College West Virginia ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Bethany, WV, Bethany College West Virginia is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 47%. In-state tuition and fees run about $36,102. Bethany College West Virginia graduates report median early-career earnings of $25,963. Typical student debt is $28,498.
Bridgevalley Community And Technical College placed #15 among the best colleges in West Virginia. Based in South Charleston, WV, Bridgevalley Community And Technical College is a public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,800 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,428 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $46,587. Students borrow a median of $11,958 to complete a degree here.
Concord University ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Concord University is a public school based in Athens, WV. About 39% of students finish within six years. Students from in state pay about $10,664 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $22,000. Graduates go on to earn a median of $36,250 early in their careers. The median student debt is $20,214.
Bluefield State College placed #17 among the best colleges in West Virginia. Bluefield State College is a public school based in Bluefield, WV. The six-year graduation rate is 30%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,648, compared with $18,376 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $46,103 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $24,791 in student loans.
Blue Ridge Community And Technical College ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Martinsburg, WV, Blue Ridge Community And Technical College is a public institution. Students from in state pay about $4,752 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $8,808. Graduates go on to earn a median of $41,032 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $18,402 in student loans.
West Virginia University At Parkersburg placed #19 among the best colleges in West Virginia. Located in Parkersburg, WV, West Virginia University At Parkersburg is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,476, compared with $9,424 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $45,400. Students borrow a median of $15,595 to complete a degree here.
West Virginia State University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Located in Institute, WV, West Virginia State University is a public institution. West Virginia State University posts a six-year graduation rate of 39%. In-state tuition and fees average $9,570, compared with $14,990 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $37,970 early in their careers. West Virginia State University students take on a median of $28,452 in debt.
Glenville State College placed #21 among the best colleges in West Virginia. Set in Glenville, WV, Glenville State College is a public institution. Glenville State College graduates 35% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $9,578, compared with $11,354 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $32,699. Glenville State College students take on a median of $25,967 in debt.
Salem International University landed the #22 spot in West Virginia this year. Salem International University is a private for-profit school based in Salem, WV. The six-year graduation rate is 17%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,070. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $51,133. The median student debt is $28,797.
Eastern West Virginia Community And Technical College landed the #23 spot in West Virginia this year. This public school is set in Moorefield, WV. Students from in state pay about $4,722 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $28,134 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $11,500 in student loans.
Mountwest Community And Technical College ranked #24 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Huntington, WV, Mountwest Community And Technical College is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,938, while out-of-state students pay about $12,304. Graduates go on to earn a median of $37,004 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $11,763.
New River Community And Technical College came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Set in Beaver, WV, New River Community And Technical College is a public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $5,156, with out-of-state students paying around $9,646. Median early-career earnings reach $44,588. The median student debt is $8,187.
Not far behind, these colleges also landed in the top of this year’s ranking:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Colleges are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
See our data sources and methodologies.