Best Colleges in West Virginia by Salary Potential
Not all bachelors degrees are equal. Some degrees have higher salary potential. Learn about West Virginia’s best four-year colleges by graduate earnings.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name:_50px.jpg) West Virginia University Institute of Technology | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$66,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$122,400 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:39% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: - Main Campus_50px.png) West Virginia University | School Type:Party School, Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$65,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$118,200 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Shepherd University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, State School | Early Career Pay:$59,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$112,900 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:16% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: West Virginia Wesleyan College | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$54,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$108,600 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:5 | School Name:Bethany College (West Virginia) | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$56,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$106,500 | % High Meaning:63% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: Concord University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$55,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$96,100 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: Wheeling University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$55,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$95,700 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
| Rank:8 | School Name:Alderson Broaddus University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$58,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$95,600 | % High Meaning:60% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:9 | School Name:University of Charleston | School Type:Business, Private School | Early Career Pay:$55,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$94,700 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: Marshall University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$54,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$93,000 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: West Liberty University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$52,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$89,600 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Fairmont State University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$51,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$89,600 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:9% |
| Rank:13 | School Name:Bluefield State College | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$59,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$87,900 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:1% |
| Rank:14 | School Name:Glenville State University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$50,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$87,500 | % High Meaning:60% | % STEM Degrees:3% |
| Rank:15 | School Name: West Virginia State University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, State School | Early Career Pay:$48,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$86,600 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:8% |
| Rank:15 | School Name:Davis & Elkins College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$45,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$86,600 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:17 | School Name:West Virginia University at Parkersburg | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$44,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$71,000 | % High Meaning:56% | % STEM Degrees:2% |
Some of the highest-earning alumni with a bachelor’s degree in West Virginia come from West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WVU Tech), a PUBLIC college where alumni earn a solid median starting salary and median mid-career salary.
West Virginia tech, obviously, is most popular for its engineering program, which is where the majority of graduates branch off into careers. Graduates of other colleges have been known to go into managerial and financial roles at companies like BAE Systems, Inc.