More selective than 0% of West Virginia colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $20,018. College Scorecard.
Higher than 50% of West Virginia colleges we cover and 32% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 59% of West Virginia colleges we cover and 31% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Fairmont State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,979 applicants, Fairmont State University admitted 1,964 and 673 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 810–1070 on the SAT or 17–23 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Fairmont State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for West Virginia residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Fairmont State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Fairmont State University took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in West Virginia. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $8,434 | $36,857 | 2.6 years |
| $30–48k | $8,679 | $37,927 | 2.7 years |
| $48–75k | $10,505 | $45,907 | 3.2 years |
| $75–110k | $11,184 | $48,874 | 3.5 years |
| $110k+ | $6,945 | $30,350 | 2.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (32% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($46,857) minus $32,695 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WV (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,162 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Fairmont State University majors, earnings & careers
Fairmont State University offers 35 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Engineering · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Science & Math · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Education · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Fairmont State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $86,071 | $33,625 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians | $75,569 | $25,000 |
| Civil Engineering Technologies / Technicians | $75,102 | — |
| Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians | $74,806 | $26,307 |
| International Relations | $71,751 | $24,250 |
| Accounting | $62,302 | — |
| Health Administration | $56,376 | — |
| Information Science / Studies | $55,280 | — |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting$62,302
- Air Transportation—
- Architectural Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$51,968
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering Technologies / Technicians$75,102
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice$49,055
- Education$46,625
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- English—
- Graphic Communications$41,784
- Health Administration$56,376
- History$28,802
- Information Science / Studies$55,280
- International Relations$71,751
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$48,858
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$50,343
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians$75,569
- Music—
- Nursing$86,071
- Political Science$54,360
- Psychology$46,235
- Public Health—
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians$74,806
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Surveying Engineering—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Criminal Justice → Police officer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Fairmont
2 bedrooms $1,071.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 48 inches of rain a year, 26 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Marion County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Marion County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Fairmont State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in West Virginia by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairmont State University | 99% | $9,032 | 44% | $46,857 | This school |
| Shepherd University | 97% | $11,363 | 51% | $49,358 | |
| West Virginia State University | 96% | $11,139 | 39% | $40,492 | |
| Bluefield State University | 97% | $13,684 | 37% | $38,217 | |
| Concord University | 93% | $9,966 | 39% | $42,703 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Fairmont State University would cost you $2,331 less per year than Shepherd University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Fairmont State University, mostly from more Shepherd University students living at home, which lowers its average (+$1,153).
- Fairmont State University gives aided families $2,748 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, West Virginia resident | Fairmont State University | Shepherd University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,708 | $9,056 | −$348 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $11,486 | $11,308 | +$178 |
| Personal & travel | $2,000 | $2,566 | −$566 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,176 | −$4,329 | +$1,153 |
| Sticker price | $20,018 | $19,601 | +$417 |
| Average grants | −$10,986 | −$8,238 | −$2,748 |
| You pay | $9,032 | $11,363 | −$2,331 |
“+” means Fairmont State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Fairmont State University
What is the Fairmont State University acceptance rate?
Fairmont State University accepts 99% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,964 of 1,979 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 810–1070 on the SAT or 17–23 on the ACT.
How much does Fairmont State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $20,018 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $9,032 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $8,434 and families earning $110k+ pay $6,945.
How much do Fairmont State University graduates earn?
Former Fairmont State University students earn a median $46,857 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Fairmont State University graduation rate?
44% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 67% return for their second year.
How long does a Fairmont State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Fairmont State University costs about $45,907 after grants ($10,505 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $46,857 ten years after starting, $14,162 more than high school graduates in West Virginia ($32,695), so the cost is repaid in 3.2 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Fairmont State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/fairmont-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).