Most Affordable Public Universities in West Virginia
State-run four-year universities, ranked by net price after aid. In-state students usually pay far less than the published out-of-state rate.
12 public universities in West Virginia are listed here, 12 of them reporting a net price. They run from $1,807 a year at West Virginia University at Parkersburg to $15,634 at West Virginia University, with a middle of about $11,139.
The cheapest are West Virginia University at Parkersburg, Marshall University and Fairmont State University. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is where to start.
Public universities in West Virginia, cheapest first · 12
Average net price per year after grants and scholarships, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where reported. Schools publishing no net price are listed last.
- West Virginia University at Parkersburg
- Marshall University
- Fairmont State University
- Potomac State College of West Virginia University
- West Virginia University Institute of Technology
- Concord University
- West Virginia State University
- Shepherd University
- Bluefield State University
- Glenville State University
- West Liberty University
- West Virginia University
← All colleges in West Virginia
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable public university in West Virginia?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is West Virginia University at Parkersburg at about $1,807 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much do public universities in West Virginia cost on average?
- Across the 12 public universities in West Virginia that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $11,139 a year after aid, running from $1,807 to $15,634.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the public universities listed here it runs from 20% to 50%, with a middle of about 34%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
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