WVU Student Enrollment Statistics: A Comprehensive Overview

West Virginia University (WVU), a public land-grant research university founded in 1867, has a rich history and a diverse student body. This article delves into various aspects of WVU's student enrollment, including demographics, admissions, costs, and outcomes, providing a comprehensive overview of the university's student population.

System-Wide Enrollment and Campus Distribution

Across its three campuses, the university anticipated a total system-wide enrollment of 24,527 students. This includes 1,024 students at Beckley, 890 at Keyser, and 22,613 at Morgantown. The Morgantown campus is further divided into 4,400 incoming freshmen, 13,145 returning undergraduates, and 5,068 graduate students. However, according to the WVU Office of Data and Analytics, there were 29,107 students system-wide in fall 2020, including 26,269 at WVU Morgantown. In 2023, West Virginia University had a total enrollment of 24,200 students. The full-time enrollment at West Virginia University is 21,227 students and the part-time enrollment is 2,973. This means that 87.7% of students enrolled at West Virginia University are enrolled full-time.

Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid

Tuition Costs

In 2023, the median undergraduate tuition at West Virginia University is $9,648, which is $−21,355 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004). The cost of tuition at West Virginia University is $−21,356 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004).

Average Net Price

In 2023 West Virginia University had an average net price - the price paid after factoring in grants and loans - of $13,691. Between 2022 and 2023, the average net price of West Virginia University grew by 12.2%. Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

The average yearly cost of room and board at West Virginia University was of $10,409 in 2023. The cost of room and board increased by 6.61% between 2022 and 2023. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $950. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

Financial Aid

In 2023, 75% of undergraduate students attending West Virginia University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 44% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans. 75% of undergraduate students at West Virginia University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2023. This represents a growth of 0% with respect to 2022, when 75% of undergraduate students received financial aid. In 2023-24, the WVU System disbursed over $432 million in financial aid ($167 million in scholarships). The 2024-25 freshman class at Morgantown includes about 1,000 Promise recipients.

Student Loan Default Rate

In 2021 the default rate for borrower's at West Virginia University was 0%, which represents 0 out of the 6027 total borrowers. A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions and Acceptance Rate

West Virginia University received 19,857 undergraduate applications in 2023, which represents a 9.07% annual growth. Out of those 19,857 applicants, 17,129 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 86.3% acceptance rate. In 2023, the undergraduate acceptance rate of West Virginia University was 86.3% (17,129 admissions from 19,857 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2022, which was 88.4%. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of applicants grew by 9.07%, while admissions grew by 6.45%. West Virginia University has an overall enrollment yield of 25.6%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

WVU has a test-optional admissions policy, meaning that applicants can apply without an ACT or SAT score. However, the university encourages students to submit scores if available and offers the option to submit them after receiving a decision. In place of test scores, emphasis will be placed on the following for test-optional applicants: cumulative and core GPA, meeting academic requirements, rigor of high school curriculum, college preparatory coursework, and intended major. Applications are processed beginning August 15 for admission the following fall. March 1 is the deadline for West Virginia residents to submit Promise Scholarship applications.

Freshman West Virginia resident applicants must have a 2.0 GPA and either an SAT super score of 990 of 1600 or an ACT super score of 19 of 36. For non-residents the requirements are a GPA of 2.5 and either a super score SAT 1060 or a super score ACT of 21. In the fall of 2020, the university relaxed its test score requirements for students applying for admission in response to the coronavirus pandemic. According to WVU assistant vice president of Enrollment Management George Zimmerman, if students are unable to take the SAT or ACT, they will still be admitted to WVU as long as they have shown academic ability in other areas of their application.

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SAT Scores

67% of enrolled first-time students at West Virginia University in 2023 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

WVU’s fall 2023 freshman class had an average cumulative GPA of 3.63 on a 4.0 scale, an average ACT score of 23 and an average SAT score of 1118.

Enrollment Demographics

The enrolled student population at West Virginia University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 79.5% White, 5.04% Two or More Races, 4.15% Hispanic or Latino, 3.15% Black or African American, 2.06% Asian, 0.124% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0579% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at West Virginia University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (42.5%), followed by White Male (39.3%) and Two or More Races Female (3.2%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (40.1%), followed by White Male (29.6%) and Black or African American Female (1.98%).

Graduation and Retention Rates

The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at West Virginia University was 81%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), West Virginia University had a retention rate lower than its peers.

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In 2023, 44% of students graduating from West Virginia University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 63% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 64% within 200%. The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2023 at West Virginia University is Female and Asian (75.6% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (74.3%). The four-year graduation rate is 65%.

Degrees Awarded

In 2023, 6,428 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at West Virginia University. 54% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 46% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (5,236 degrees), 23.6 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (222 degrees).

In 2023, 518 more women than men received degrees from West Virginia University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at West Virginia University is white (5,236 degrees awarded). There were 23.6 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (222 degrees).

In 2023, the most common bachelors degree concentration at West Virginia University was General Health & Physical Education with 194 degrees awarded.

In 2023, 157 degrees were awarded to men at West Virginia University in General Business, which is 1.91 times more than the 82 female recipients with that same degree. In 2023, 186 degrees were awarded to men at West Virginia University in Registered Nursing, which is 6.2 times more than the 30 male recipients with that same degree.

Majors and Career Outcomes

In 2023, the most specialized majors across all degree types at West Virginia University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Natural Resources & Conservation (135 degrees awarded), Agriculture (196 degrees), and Engineering (736 degrees).

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at West Virginia University are Other managers (480,893 people), Software developers (479,503 people), Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers (362,249 people), Civil engineers (299,931 people), and Mechanical engineers (216,526 people). The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at West Virginia University are uninformed (816,884 people), Computer Systems Design (573,689 people), Architectural, engineering & related services (472,726 people), Construction (379,697 people), and Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (365,358 people).

Six years after graduation, the median salary for graduates is $45,181. According to College Scorecard, WVU graduates earn $10,000 more than other college graduates 10 years after graduation - 32% more than other college grads.

Rankings and Recognition

West Virginia University is ranked No. #222 in National Universities in the 2026 edition of Best Colleges. It's also ranked No. #122 in Top Public Schools. WVU is one of only five flagship, R1, land-grant, community-engaged universities in the nation and one of only 146 R1 (highest research activity). schools classified as a land-grant, doctoral research university with a comprehensive health sciences center. WVU also ranks in the top 2.4% of worldwide universities, according to the Center for World University Rankings. WVU is a space-grant university, meaning it's part of a network formed for outer-space related research. WVU is one of only 75 schools recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching for Community Engagement (recognized since 2010).

Campus Life and Activities

WVU offers a vibrant campus life with numerous activities and traditions, including:

FallFest: An evening of entertainment and musical performances held during the first week of the fall semester.
Mountaineer Week: A celebration of WVU tradition and Appalachian heritage.
Lighting of Woodburn Hall: An annual university ceremony held in early December to light historic Woodburn Hall for the holiday season.
Fall Family Weekend: An opportunity for students' family members to experience WVU campus life.
Homecoming weekend: Activities include the Alumni Band-led homecoming parade, the crowning of royalty, and a football game.
Greek Week: Held during the spring semester.

Challenges and Recent Developments

In August 2023, facing financial difficulties, university leaders proposed to cut 7% of the university's faculty and eliminate 32 major programs offered at the Morgantown campus. These cuts would affect some humanities disciplines, including the entire Department of World Language, Literature and Linguistics, as well as some non-humanities programs, such as pharmacy and engineering. Within the first week of fall classes, on August 21, 2023, hundreds of students staged a walkout and held rallies on Morgantown's Downtown and Evansdale campuses to show opposition to the proposal.

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