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Academics

West Virginia University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at West Virginia University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

19:1
Student to faculty ratio
48%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

WVU has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 19:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Honors Programs

West Virginia University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on WVU's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at West Virginia University:

83%
First-year retention rate
48%
4-year grad rate
64%
6-year grad rate

The average base annual salary of students who were employed within six months of graduation is $41,770. This is less than the national average of $48,300.

$41,770
$48,300 (National Average)

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are West Virginia University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
Marketing/Marketing Management, General
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General
Mechanical Engineering
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
147.8
154.04
160.28
166.52
172.76
179

The Full List

Major Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
  • Animal Sciences, General 103
  • Agricultural Economics 49
  • Agronomy and Crop Science 37
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology 150
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 124
  • Biochemistry 27
  • Neuroscience 18
  • Microbiology and Immunology 12
  • Biometry/Biometrics 8
Business
  • Marketing/Marketing Management, General 168
  • Finance, General 143
  • Business/Commerce, General 110
  • Management Information Systems, General 74
  • Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management 58
  • Accounting 55
  • Business Administration and Management, General 44
  • Business/Managerial Economics 43
  • Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies 29
  • Hospitality Administration/Management, General 16
  • Organizational Leadership 1
Communication
  • Journalism 148
  • Speech Communication and Rhetoric 51
  • Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, Other 4
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 70
  • Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance 20
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 66
  • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching 16
  • Agricultural Teacher Education 5
  • Education/Teaching of Individuals in Early Childhood Special Education Programs 1
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 154
  • Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General 98
  • Civil Engineering, General 62
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 40
  • Industrial Engineering 40
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 36
  • Computer Engineering, General 28
  • Chemical Engineering 23
  • Petroleum Engineering 14
  • Mining and Mineral Engineering 12
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 47
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  • Child Development 29
Foreign Languages
  • Spanish Language and Literature 10
  • Chinese Language and Literature 2
  • Russian Language and Literature 2
  • French Language and Literature 1
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 179
  • Health and Wellness, General 92
  • Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist 38
  • Public Health, General 31
  • Dental Hygiene/Hygienist 20
  • Health Information/Medical Records Administration/Administrator 13
  • Psychiatric/Mental Health Services Technician 8
  • Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist 6
  • Health/Health Care Administration/Management 6
  • Pharmaceutical Sciences 4
History
  • History, General 45
Homeland Security
  • Forensic Science and Technology 102
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • General Studies 119
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 22
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other 0
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 17
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 153
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 153
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 153
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other 64
  • Sustainability Studies 16
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management 61
  • Land Use Planning and Management/Development 15
  • Forest Management/Forest Resources Management 14
  • Environmental Science 12
  • Wood Science and Wood Products/Pulp and Paper Technology/Technician 2
Parks
  • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 162
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology 10
  • Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General 10
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 9
Physical Sciences
  • Chemistry, General 19
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 16
  • Physics, General 14
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 149
Public Administration And Social Service Professions
  • Social Work 34
Social Sciences
  • Criminology 147
  • Political Science and Government, General 87
  • International Relations and Affairs 22
  • Geography 13
  • Anthropology, General 9
  • Sociology, General 6
  • Economics, General 2
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Design and Visual Communications, General 58
  • Art/Art Studies, General 53
  • Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General 29
  • Game and Interactive Media Design 29
  • Music, General 28
  • Music History, Literature, and Theory 23
  • Dance, General 19
  • Art History, Criticism and Conservation 3
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