Best Colleges in West Virginia of 2023

West Virginia University is the state's flagship research university. It's an R1 university, which is the highest designation a university can earn for research activity from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The university offers 355 undergraduate majors across 13 colleges and schools, including the College of Creative Arts, Reed College of Media, and the School of Nursing. Master's and doctorate degrees are also offered at the university, which also has schools of law, medicine, dentistry, and business. There are about 28,000 total students at West Virginia University, which was founded in 1867 in Morgantown as an agricultural college. The university stands out on our list for having the highest graduation rate among the public schools. It also has over 500 student organizations.. Organizations run the gamut in focus and include the Airforce ROTC, Outdoor Adventure Club, Appalachian Advocacy, and the Cheddar Biscuits Club.

A medium-sized public school located in Huntington, West Virginia, Marshall University is named after the late Supreme Court Justice John Marshall. About 12,000 students attend the school, which offers degrees from associate to doctorate levels. Specific undergraduate degree choices include an Associate of Science in Medical Laboratory Technology, a Bachelor of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre. In 2019, the university opened a College of Pharmacy, which offers graduate degrees, and in 2021, they opened a flight school, which offers two undergraduate degree options. Marshall University awards $23 million in scholarships annually and $17.5 in federal grants. There are merit scholarships available to both in-state and out-of-state students, and about 77% of Marshall students receive some type of financial assistance.

Davis & Elkins College is a small liberal arts school founded in 1904 by the Presbyterian Church. About 800 students attend the school, which borders the Monongahela National Forest in Elkins, West Virginia - a small arts community known for its annual Mountain State Forest Festival. Nearly half of all students at Davis & Elkins College are student athletes who compete on one or more of the school's NCAA Division II teams. The school offers associate and bachelor's degrees only, with the most popular majors being sports science, criminology, creative arts, nursing, education, and environmental studies. Davis & Elkins College is particularly welcoming to transfer students, with 20% of new students transferring in from other institutions.

Founded in 1837, West Liberty University is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of West Virginia. It was started as a teacher training school but today offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a wide variety of disciplines, including education, social work, criminal justice, health sciences, nursing, and visual arts. The university encourages students to study abroad and has numerous international partnerships with other institutions, including Hanbat National University in South Korea, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg in Germany, and the Katowice School of Technology in Poland. West Liberty University is located in the town of West Liberty and has a student population of 2,300. It has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1, which is quite low for a public institution. On this list, it has the most selective rate of admission of public schools.

West Virginia Wesleyan College is a small private school that has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since its founding in 1890. The school's mission is to develop students' intellectual, ethical, spiritual, and leadership potential. The majority of the 1,400 students are undergraduates, but a handful of graduate programs are also offered in business, writing, and health care. A unique offering at West Virginia Wesleyan is the GO-D.O. Early Scholars Program - a partnership with the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine that admits up to 10 incoming freshmen a year to both schools. This highly selective program began in 2020 and allows students to bypass having to take the MCAT. West Virginia Wesleyan stands out on this list for having the best graduation rate among the private schools.

A small public school founded in 1872, Glenville State University is located in the rural community of Glenville, West Virginia. About 1,500 students are enrolled at the school, which grants associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees in the areas of education, business, music, the liberal arts, the sciences, criminal justice, and human services. A unique degree offered by Glenville State is its Bachelor of Arts in Appalachian Studies, which is one of only a few programs of its kind in the nation and includes classes like West Virginia History, Bluegrass Music Traditions, and Flora of West Virginia. Other niche degrees offered by the university include an Associate of Applied Science in Land Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Forest Technology. Annually, Glenville State holds the Pioneer Showcase where students can present their research, experiential learning, and creative projects in a formal setting.

Alderson Broaddus University is a small private Christian school located in Philippi, West Virginia. Its unique name is derived from the names of two schools that merged in 1932. The school has a student body of about 850 students, the majority of whom are undergraduates. Major choices include a Bachelor of Science in Cyber Security, a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, and a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management. Alderson Broaddus University has a strong commitment to diversity and equity, including equity in athletics, and is one of only 38 in the nation that offers an NCAA women's wrestling team. Student organizations include the Gay Straight Alliance, Black Student Union, and International Student Organization. Although the university is affiliated with the American Baptist Church, nonsectarians and students of all faiths are welcome. On this list, Alderson Broaddus stands out on this list for having the most selective admissions rate of the private schools.

Founded in 1895, Bluefield State College is a public historically Black college that's part of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Located in Bluefield, West Virginia, the school has about 1,200 graduate and undergraduate students. Bluefield State has four schools within it, including the School of Nursing and Allied Health, which offers undergraduate degrees in nursing and radiologic technology, and the Cole School of Business, which offers an undergraduate degree in business administration with an optional concentration in accounting, entrepreneurship, management, marketing, or sports management. Student activities at Bluefield State College include Division II athletics, intramural sports, Greek life, and student organizations like the Veteran Student Association, Computer Society, and Big Blue Pride.

A medium-sized public school located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, Shepherd University was founded in 1871 to teach languages, arts, and sciences. Today, the university offers 80 undergraduate majors and minors in a wide variety of disciplines, including business, nursing, education, engineering, music, and computer science. The most popular major choices are nursing education, business administration, secondary education, biology, and recreation. Due to the school's proximity to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, it has many unique internship opportunities available and about 35% of its students hail from the D.C. metropolitan area. Shepherd University offers many supports for veterans and their families, including an on-campus veterans center and the opportunity to earn a certificate in sustainable agricultural production enterprise via its innovative Veterans to Agriculture Program.

Founded in 1891, West Virginia State University is a historically Black public university located in Institute, West Virginia. Many alumni have been pioneers in their fields, including Earl Lloyd, who was the first African American to play in the NBA; Will Robinson, the first African American NCAA Division I basketball coach; and Carter Godwin Woodson, who is considered the father of Black history in academia. Antoine Fuqua, who directed "Training Day" that stars Denzel Washington, is also an alumnus, as is Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Katherine Johnson. The university awards 24 undergraduate degrees in the arts, sciences, business, education, and professions, as well as seven master's degrees. West Virginia State University was the first historically Black college to establish an aviation program.