by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in West Virginia, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Our ranking highlights **6** programs by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2027 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual analyzed 6 graduate schools 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.
This is how starting salaries are distributed among the top-ranked graduate schools:
Here are the top-ranked graduate schools:
West Virginia School Of Osteopathic Medicine earned the #1 spot in this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in West Virginia. Based in Lewisburg, WV, West Virginia School Of Osteopathic Medicine is a public institution. West Virginia School Of Osteopathic Medicine graduates report median early-career earnings of $61,064.
A rank of #2 makes West Virginia University one of the top graduate schools in West Virginia. Based in Morgantown, WV, West Virginia University is a public institution. Roughly 64% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $10,104 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,608. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $51,750. The median student debt is $23,772.
Out of the 6 graduate schools in West Virginia in this year's ranking, University Of Charleston landed the #3 spot. This private not-for-profit school is set in Charleston, WV. About 44% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $22,617. Graduates go on to earn a median of $64,407 early in their careers. The median student debt is $22,646.
Out of the 6 graduate schools in West Virginia in this year's ranking, Wheeling Jesuit University landed the #4 spot. This private not-for-profit school is set in Wheeling, WV. Roughly 23% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $29,875. Median early-career earnings reach $38,212. Graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
Marshall University came in at #5 on this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in West Virginia. Marshall University is a public school based in Huntington, WV. About 51% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $9,162, while out-of-state students pay about $20,342. Median early-career earnings reach $52,481. The median student debt is $25,250.
American Public University System came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Set 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%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,400. Median early-career earnings reach $57,404. The median student debt is $23,438.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Rankings consider 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.