Why This Matters

  • 18 ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS IN WEST VIRGINIA

    Data from College Navigator shows that West Virginia has 18 two-year programs that grant associate degrees.

  • $4,533 AVERAGE IN-DISTRICT TUITION & FEES

    According to College Board, the average West Virginian paid an estimated $4,533 in public, in-district community college tuition for the 2022-23 school year.

  • 80.6% OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS DEPEND ON FINANCIAL AID

    Many American students rely on financial aid to fund their education. During the 2019-20 school year, 452,493 students attending two-year institutions depended on a scholarship, grant, work-study opportunity, or similar form of financial aid.

Our Research

This list features some of the best community colleges in West Virginia. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. We included small, midsize, and large colleges as well as trade, technical, and vocational programs. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.

The colleges on our list are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a reputable organization that examines objectives, quality and overall effectiveness of education programs in the United States.

We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.

The Top 50 Community Colleges in West Virginia

Best Community Colleges In West Virginia Badge 2023
01
Intelligent Pick
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
01
Best for Community Education
New River Community and Technical College
01
Best for Workforce Development
West Virginia Northern Community College
01
Best for Financial Aid
BridgeValley Community and Technical College
01
Best Bachelor's Programs
Potomac State College of West Virginia University
01
Best for High School Students
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College
01
Best for Professional Training
Pierpont Community and Technical College
01
Most Flexible
Mountwest Community and Technical College
01
Most Customizable Programs
Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College
01
Best HBCU
Bluefield State College
01

James Rumsey Technical Institute
01

West Virginia University at Parkersburg

What You Should Know About Graduating From Community College in West Virginia

As you review community college programs, you should take into account your career and salary aspirations. Data from May 2021 shows that the jobs with the highest median wages for associate degree holders in West Virginia were radiation therapists, air traffic controllers, magnetic resonance imaging technologists, and engineering technologists.

Associate degree holders searching for jobs in West Virginia should consider careers that tend to have a high level of job availability. The occupations projected to have the most annual job openings until 2031 are paralegal and legal assistants, physical therapy assistants, preschool teachers (excluding special education), mechanical engineering technicians, and radiologic technologists.

While some career fields are expected to grow, others are expected to decline. The jobs that are estimated to have the greatest percentage drop in employment for associate degree holders in West Virginia are funeral home managers, morticians, human resources assistants, and architectural and civil drafters.

What’s Next?

As you prepare for higher education, it’s important to understand the financial aid resources available to you. We’ve attached a list of federal and state resources that help associate degree students find grants, scholarships, and financial aid opportunities in West Virginia.

  • West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC). WVHEPC supports students pursuing higher education by offering information about state loan programs, federal aid, and career-based scholarships.
  • Federal Student Aid. Over $120 billion is granted to students every year by the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid. This money is offered in the form of scholarships, grants, work-study opportunities, and loans. Check your eligibility through the FAFSA4caster and apply by completing the online FAFSA form.
  • CareerOneStop. This resource is sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and facilitates access to scholarships and grants. After filtering information by degree level and state, users will encounter a list of scholarships and details about award amounts, qualifications, and deadlines.