State Rankings

Best Colleges in West Virginia

Top colleges in West Virginia ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes — updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 45

Avg grad earnings: $41,773

Public / Private: 37 / 8

Top Colleges in West Virginia

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	West Virginia University Morgantown#465 national	Public	$55,939	86.3%	1,129	61.2%	$27,360
2	West Virginia University Institute of Technology Beckley#1088 national	Public	$55,939	61.0%	1,044	36.1%	$20,120
3	University of Charleston Charleston#1183 national	Private	$55,774	64.5%	N/A	46.3%	$32,842
4	Marshall University Huntington#1316 national	Public	$46,354	96.5%	1,051	48.7%	$20,294
5	West Liberty University West Liberty#1366 national	Public	$43,296	72.1%	1,041	60.6%	$17,116
6	Blue Ridge Community and Technical College Martinsburg#1403 national	Public	$39,293	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,848
7	Shepherd University Shepherdstown#1517 national	Public	$49,358	95.7%	1,022	49.5%	$19,082
8	Potomac State College of West Virginia University Keyser#1572 national	Public	$55,939	N/A	N/A	26.0%	$12,624
9	BridgeValley Community & Technical College South Charleston#1659 national	Public	$36,432	N/A	N/A	N/A	$11,748
10	Wheeling University Wheeling#1873 national	Private	$57,949	75.2%	N/A	32.0%	$29,475
11	West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon#1884 national	Private	$51,593	95.0%	1,045	49.5%	$33,494
12	Bethany College Bethany#1929 national	Private	$44,512	60.5%	N/A	46.3%	$34,816
13	Fairmont State University Fairmont#1936 national	Public	$46,857	99.2%	993	48.3%	$18,372
14	West Virginia Northern Community College Wheeling#1970 national	Public	$30,162	N/A	N/A	N/A	$12,728
15	New River Community and Technical College Beaver#2033 national	Public	$29,073	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,140
16	Pierpont Community and Technical College Fairmont#2044 national	Public	$35,132	N/A	N/A	N/A	$13,262
17	Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College Logan#2159 national	Public	$32,153	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,560
18	Mountwest Community and Technical College Huntington#2233 national	Public	$28,951	N/A	N/A	N/A	$12,004
19	Concord University Athens#2293 national	Public	$42,703	89.6%	980	42.3%	$20,600
20	West Virginia University at Parkersburg Parkersburg#2350 national	Public	$35,171	N/A	N/A	30.6%	$9,124
21	Davis & Elkins College Elkins#2352 national	Private	$43,411	58.2%	985	36.6%	$31,270
22	West Virginia State University Institute#2486 national	Public	$40,492	96.4%	979	33.5%	$14,623
23	Glenville State University Glenville#2495 national	Public	$39,315	N/A	N/A	35.5%	$11,140
24	Bluefield State University Bluefield#2528 national	Public	$38,217	87.2%	998	34.6%	$17,560
25	West Virginia University Hospital Departments of Rad Tech and Nutrition Morgantown	Private	$69,666	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
26	Ralph R Willis Career and Technical Center Stollings	Public	$51,465	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
27	United Technical Center Clarksburg	Public	$49,130	N/A	N/A	N/A	$4,400
28	Mineral County Vocational Technical Center Keyser	Public	$46,022	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
29	James Rumsey Technical Institute Martinsburg	Public	$45,133	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
30	Fred W Eberle Technical Center Buckhannon	Public	$43,364	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
31	John D Rockefeller IV Career Center New Cumberland	Public	$43,264	N/A	N/A	N/A	$10,140
32	Fayette Institute of Technology Oak Hill	Public	$41,880	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
33	Wood County Technical Center-Practical Nursing Parkersburg	Public	$40,547	83.3%	N/A	N/A	N/A
34	Monongalia County Technical Education Center Morgantown	Public	$40,499	50.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A
35	Ben Franklin Career Center Dunbar	Public	$37,962	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
36	Appalachian Bible College Mount Hope	Private	$37,467	98.6%	1,068	75.6%	$18,230
37	Putnam Career and Technical Center Eleanor	Public	$36,203	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
38	Roane-Jackson Technical Center Leroy	Public	$33,982	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
39	Cabell County Career Technology Center Huntington	Public	$33,975	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
40	Carver Career Center Charleston	Public	$33,739	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
41	Mercer County Technical Education Center Princeton	Public	$33,511	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
42	Academy of Careers and Technology Beckley	Public	$32,756	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
43	Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College Moorefield	Public	$31,636	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,680
44	Huntington Junior College Huntington	Private	$21,783	N/A	N/A	N/A	$10,050
45	Mingo Extended Learning Center Delbarton	Public	N/A	100.0%	N/A	N/A	N/A

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

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