Cheapest Colleges in West Virginia
Sticker prices at the 16 four-year colleges we rank in West Virginia run from $8,400 to $36,765 a year in tuition and fees, a gap of $28,365 between the cheapest school and the most expensive one.
The 9 public colleges here charge a median of $9,570 a year, $370 (4%) below the national public median of $9,940. The 5 private nonprofit colleges on the list charge a median of $33,800, under the $39,582 national private median. Sticker price alone rarely settles the cheapest private option, so check the net price column.
American Public University System ranks first at $8,400, ahead of Fairmont State University ($8,708) and West Liberty University ($8,893).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- 4-year colleges whose main award is the bachelor's degree (public, private nonprofit and for-profit)
- Ranked by in-state tuition & fees, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in West Virginia
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported in-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; West Virginia has 16
- Data period
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 16 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | American Public University System Charles Town, WV For-profit · 4-year | $8,400 | — | $9,597 | 55% | 40,074 |
| 2 | Fairmont State University Fairmont, WV Public · 4-year | $8,708 | $18,924 | $9,032 | 46% | 2,590 |
| 3 | West Liberty University West Liberty, WV Public · 4-year | $8,893 | $17,442 | $15,366 | 60% | 1,511 |
| 4 | Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV Public · 4-year | $9,056 | $19,082 | $11,363 | 50% | 2,344 |
| 5 | Marshall University Huntington, WV Public · 4-year | $9,162 | $20,342 | $7,502 | 50% | 7,266 |
| 6 | West Virginia State University Institute, WV Public · 4-year | $9,570 | $14,990 | $11,139 | 36% | 1,321 |
| 7 | Glenville State University Glenville, WV Public · 4-year | $9,578 | $11,354 | $14,006 | 35% | 1,096 |
| 8 | West Virginia University Morgantown, WV Public · 4-year | $10,104 | $28,608 | $15,634 | 63% | 17,385 |
| 9 | Bluefield State University Bluefield, WV Public · 4-year | $10,648 | $18,376 | $13,684 | 36% | 1,042 |
| 10 | Concord University Athens, WV Public · 4-year | $10,664 | $22,000 | $9,966 | 41% | 1,504 |
| 11 | Salem University Salem, WV For-profit · 4-year | $11,900 | — | $12,303 | 24% | 892 |
| 12 | Wheeling University Wheeling, WV Private nonprofit · 4-year | $29,875 | — | $20,503 | 27% | 589 |
| 13 | Davis & Elkins College Elkins, WV Private nonprofit · 4-year | $31,820 | — | $18,273 | 38% | 661 |
| 14 | University of Charleston Charleston, WV Private nonprofit · 4-year | $33,800 | — | $22,107 | 46% | 2,259 |
| 15 | West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, WV Private nonprofit · 4-year | $34,090 | — | $18,083 | 53% | 954 |
| 16 | Bethany College (WV) Bethany, WV Private nonprofit · 4-year | $36,765 | — | $18,605 | 47% | 614 |
How to compare these colleges
Start with the net price column rather than the sticker price. Net price is the average a student who receives aid pays after grants and scholarships, so a school that ranks lower here can still be the cheaper choice for your family. The out-of-state column applies only if you are not a legal resident of West Virginia, and only public colleges charge a separate rate.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for West Virginia
Cheap colleges in West Virginia for out-of-state students
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Highest graduate earnings in West Virginia
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Same list in nearby states
Cheapest colleges in Pennsylvania
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Cheapest colleges in Ohio
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Cheapest colleges in Virginia
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All 32 colleges in West Virginia See the national version of this ranking