by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Top West Virginia Colleges ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Our analysis looked at 25 schools in West Virginia to determine which ones were the best in terms of overall quality. Instead of depending on subjective information, we focus on over 20 objective factors to determine this ranking. These factors include such things as student-to-faculty ratio, average graduate earnings, and graduation rate.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering!
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2025 rankings named American Public University System the best school in West Virginia in terms of overall quality for students working on their bachelor’s degree.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $44,409 during the early years of their career..
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend West Virginia University. It ranked #2 on our 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from WVU make an average of $55,939 per year during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wheeling University. The school came in at #3 in West Virginia on this year’s overall quality ranking.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Wheeling University make an average of $57,949 per year during the early years of their career.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Marshall University. It ranked #4 on our 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Marshall University go into careers with an average salary of $46,354 during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Blue Ridge Community and Technical College. The school came in at #5 in West Virginia on this year’s overall quality ranking.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Blue Ridge Community and Technical College go into careers with an average salary of $39,293 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
West Virginia University at Parkersburg ranked #6 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University at Parkersburg make an average of $35,171 per year during the early years of their career.
University of Charleston ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UC is $55,774 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #8, West Virginia University Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University Tech is $55,939 during the early years of their career.
Shepherd University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #9.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $49,358 during the early years of their career..
With a ranking of #10, Fairmont State University did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Fairmont State go into careers with an average salary of $46,857 during the early years of their career.
Potomac State College of West Virginia University landed the #11 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from WVU Potomac State College make an average of $55,939 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Potomac State College of West Virginia University
With a ranking of #12, West Virginia Wesleyan College did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
During the early years of their career, graduates from West Virginia Wesleyan make an average of $51,593 a year.
Pierpont Community and Technical College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Pierpont Community and Technical College make an average of $35,132 a year.
Read full report on Pierpont Community and Technical College
Bluefield State College landed the #14 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Bluefield State College make an average of $38,217 a year.
Salem University landed the #15 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Salem is $34,642 during the early years of their career.
West Liberty University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
During the early years of their career, graduates from West Liberty University make an average of $43,296 a year.
BridgeValley Community & Technical College did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #17.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from BridgeValley Community & Technical College go into careers with an average salary of $36,432 during the early years of their career.
Mountwest Community and Technical College landed the #18 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $28,951 during the early years of their career..
With a ranking of #19, Concord University did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Concord University make an average of $42,703 per year during the early years of their career.
West Virginia Northern Community College landed the #20 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from WVNCC make an average of $30,162 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #21, Glenville State College did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Glenville State College make an average of $39,315 a year.
West Virginia State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
During the early years of their career, graduates from WVSU make an average of $40,492 a year.
New River Community and Technical College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $29,073 during the early years of their career..
West Virginia Junior College - Morgantown did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking, coming in at #24.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $31,912 during the early years of their career..
With a ranking of #25, West Virginia Junior College - Charleston did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in West Virginia list.
During the early years of their career, graduates from WVJC Charleston make an average of $27,472 a year.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.