West Virginia State University
Institute, WVRte 25, Institute, WV 25112-1000
304-766-3000
West Virginia State University (WVSU) is a public, historically black university in Institute, West Virginia. Founded in 1891 as the West Virginia Colored Institute, it was renamed in 1915 as the West Virginia State College for Negroes. In 1929, after the college moved to its present location, it became West Virginia State University. It is the only public, historically black university in the state of West Virginia and one of only four in the entire Appalachian region.
The university offers associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees in a variety of disciplines. The school's athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division II and are known as the Yellow Jackets.
WVSU was founded as the West Virginia Colored Institute in 1891 by the West Virginia Legislature. The school was created in response to the 1890 Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, which upheld the doctrine of "separate but equal" in public accommodations. The Colored Institute was one of 19 such schools established in the South for African Americans.
The school's first president was Dr. John W. Davis, a former slave who had become a prominent educator and lawyer. Under his leadership, the school grew rapidly. In 1915, the Legislature renamed the school the West Virginia State College for Negroes.
In 1929, the college moved to its current location on the outskirts of Charleston, the state capital. The move was made possible by a generous donation of land from the city of Charleston. The college was renamed West Virginia State University.
The university has a long history of service to the state of West Virginia. In the early years, the school trained teachers for the state's African American schools. In the 1930s, the university helped to train the first African American police officers in the state. In the 1940s, the school trained African American soldiers for service in World War II.
The university has also been a leader in the civil rights movement. In the 1950s, the university was a center for the study of the civil rights movement. In the 1960s, the university was a leader in the desegregation of public schools in West Virginia.
The university has an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students. The student body is diverse, with students coming from all over the United States and from many different backgrounds. The university is committed to providing a quality education to all of its students.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 3638
Acceptance Rate: 88.50%
Type: Public, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.wvstateu.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.wvstateu.edu/Admissions/Financial-Aid.aspx
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $25090
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $30778
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at West Virginia State University is $101110.76. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at West Virginia State University. For graduates of West Virginia State University, we saw an average early-career income of $43700.00 and mid-career income of $80600.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.