Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in West Virginia
Key facts
- #1 Wheeling University, WV: $58k
- #2 West Virginia University, WV: $56k
- #3 West Virginia University Institute of Technology, WV: $56k
- 28 colleges ranked across West Virginia
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: $42k across the typical college in this list.
- 1Wheeling University WV$58k
- 2West Virginia University WV$56k
- 3West Virginia University Institute of Technology WV$56k
- 4Potomac State College of West Virginia University WV$56k
- 5University of Charleston WV$56k
- 6West Virginia Wesleyan College WV$52k
- 7Shepherd University WV$49k
- 8Fairmont State University WV$47k
- 9Marshall University WV$46k
- 10Bethany College WV$45k
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Wheeling University leads on $58k, and #10 Bethany College is at $45k.
- Wheeling University reaches #1 on a sample of 589 students enrolled, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- West Virginia University is the largest market in the top ten, with 17,385 students enrolled behind its figure.
- Colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Median earnings ten years after enrolling show what former students of a college go on to earn, as the Department of Education publishes it.
How to use it
Compare colleges within the same level and field, and read earnings next to completion rate and net price. Earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as the college.
The top 25
- 1
Wheeling University WV
$58k
- Completion rate
- 23%
- Net price a year
- $20,503
- Private nonprofit
- 589 students
Based on 589 students enrolled.
- 2
West Virginia University WV
$56k
- Completion rate
- 65%
- Net price a year
- $15,634
- Public
- 17,385 students
Based on 17,385 students enrolled.
West Virginia University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 3
- Completion rate
- 33%
- Net price a year
- $9,337
- Public
- 981 students
Based on 981 students enrolled.
West Virginia University Institute of Technology: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 4
- Completion rate
- 31%
- Net price a year
- $9,197
- Public
- 853 students
Based on 853 students enrolled.
Potomac State College of West Virginia University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 5
University of Charleston WV
$56k
- Completion rate
- 46%
- Net price a year
- $22,107
- Private nonprofit
- 2,259 students
Based on 2,259 students enrolled.
University of Charleston: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 6
West Virginia Wesleyan College WV
$52k
- Completion rate
- 57%
- Net price a year
- $18,083
- Private nonprofit
- 954 students
Based on 954 students enrolled.
West Virginia Wesleyan College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 7
Shepherd University WV
$49k
- Completion rate
- 51%
- Net price a year
- $11,363
- Public
- 2,344 students
Based on 2,344 students enrolled.
- 8
Fairmont State University WV
$47k
- Completion rate
- 44%
- Net price a year
- $9,032
- Public
- 2,590 students
Based on 2,590 students enrolled.
Fairmont State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 9
Marshall University WV
$46k
- Completion rate
- 51%
- Net price a year
- $7,502
- Public
- 7,266 students
Based on 7,266 students enrolled.
- 10
Bethany College WV
$45k
- Completion rate
- 47%
- Net price a year
- $18,605
- Private nonprofit
- 614 students
Based on 614 students enrolled.
- 11
- Completion rate
- 57%
- Net price a year
- $9,597
- Private for-profit
- 40,074 students
Based on 40,074 students enrolled.
American Public University System: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 12
Davis & Elkins College WV
$43k
- Completion rate
- 39%
- Net price a year
- $18,273
- Private nonprofit
- 661 students
Based on 661 students enrolled.
- 13
West Liberty University WV
$43k
- Completion rate
- 60%
- Net price a year
- $15,366
- Public
- 1,511 students
Based on 1,511 students enrolled.
- 14
Concord University WV
$43k
- Completion rate
- 39%
- Net price a year
- $9,966
- Public
- 1,504 students
Based on 1,504 students enrolled.
- 15
West Virginia State University WV
$40k
- Completion rate
- 39%
- Net price a year
- $11,139
- Public
- 1,321 students
Based on 1,321 students enrolled.
West Virginia State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 16
Glenville State University WV
$39k
- Completion rate
- 34%
- Net price a year
- $14,006
- Public
- 1,096 students
Based on 1,096 students enrolled.
Glenville State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 17
- Completion rate
- 32%
- Net price a year
- $4,641
- Public
- 1,661 students
Based on 1,661 students enrolled.
Blue Ridge Community and Technical College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 18
Bluefield State University WV
$38k
- Completion rate
- 37%
- Net price a year
- $13,684
- Public
- 1,042 students
Based on 1,042 students enrolled.
Bluefield State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 19
- Completion rate
- 34%
- Net price a year
- $4,565
- Public
- 1,854 students
Based on 1,854 students enrolled.
BridgeValley Community & Technical College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 20
- Completion rate
- 9%
- Net price a year
- $1,807
- Public
- 1,868 students
Based on 1,868 students enrolled.
West Virginia University at Parkersburg: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 21
- Completion rate
- 42%
- Net price a year
- $8,325
- Public
- 959 students
Based on 959 students enrolled.
Pierpont Community and Technical College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 22
Salem University WV
$35k
- Completion rate
- 20%
- Net price a year
- $12,303
- Private for-profit
- 892 students
Based on 892 students enrolled.
- 23
- Completion rate
- 29%
- Net price a year
- $10,321
- Public
- 1,064 students
Based on 1,064 students enrolled.
Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 24
- Completion rate
- 71%
- Net price a year
- $15,520
- Private for-profit
- 673 students
Based on 673 students enrolled.
West Virginia Junior College-Morgantown: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 25
- Completion rate
- 33%
- Net price a year
- $5,329
- Public
- 1,014 students
Based on 1,014 students enrolled.
West Virginia Northern Community College: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
Full ranking
All 28 colleges that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
How this ranking works
Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones.
Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
Sample bar: colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (median earnings, completion, net price), as held in our college tables. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which certification ranks first: colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in west virginia?
- Wheeling University leads West Virginia among colleges for earnings: its former students earn a median of $58k ten years after enrolling, against $42k for the typical college in this list.
- How many colleges are ranked?
- 28 colleges have at least 500 students enrolled, so the list has 28 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones. Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Four-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Community and two-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Northeast
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in New England
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Mid-Atlantic
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in West Virginia,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-west-virginia
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-west-virginia">Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in West Virginia (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
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