More selective than 36% 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 $22,022. College Scorecard.
Higher than 72% of West Virginia colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 53% of West Virginia colleges we cover and 30% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Marshall University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,499 applicants, Marshall University admitted 6,269 and 1,739 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 910–1150 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Marshall 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 Marshall University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Marshall 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 | $4,648 | $20,358 | 1.5 years |
| $30–48k | $4,430 | $19,403 | 1.4 years |
| $48–75k | $6,837 | $29,946 | 2.2 years |
| $75–110k | $11,227 | $49,174 | 3.6 years |
| $110k+ | $15,076 | $66,033 | 4.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (34% 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 ($46,354) minus $32,695 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WV (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $13,659 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.
Marshall University majors, earnings & careers
Marshall University offers 64 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 11
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Science & Math · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Engineering · 6
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 2
Highest-earning majors at Marshall University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Information Technology | $79,371 | $28,375 |
| Nursing | $77,609 | $27,000 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | $75,952 | $24,698 |
| Engineering | $72,922 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $70,425 | $20,500 |
| Business Economics | $70,073 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $69,565 | $28,375 |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | $67,667 | $22,789 |
Quick list of all 64 majors
- Accounting$70,425
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)$67,667
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Biology$44,836
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Business—
- Business Administration$54,659
- Business Economics$70,073
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences$69,565
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other—
- Computer Systems Analysis—
- Criminal Justice$49,559
- Dietetics$55,840
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$43,659
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering$72,922
- English$39,402
- Environmental Science / Conservation$43,995
- Film and Photography—
- Finance$63,906
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- History$41,214
- Information Technology$79,371
- Insurance—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Journalism$44,277
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$47,581
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$43,714
- Linguistics—
- Literature—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing$58,293
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Medical Laboratory Science$75,952
- Natural Resources and Conservation, Other$48,972
- Nursing$77,609
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management—
- Physics—
- Political Science$50,832
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health$42,925
- Psychology$45,309
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Quality Control and Safety Technologies / Technicians—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Social Work$41,684
- Sociology—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$55,037
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$32,723
- Systems Science and Theory$48,250
- Visual and Performing Arts$35,126
- Writing—
— 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 →Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Huntington
Overall prices in the Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,006. Housing costs 49% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 47 inches of rain a year, 10 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Cabell County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cabell County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Marshall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marshall University | 96% | $7,502 | 51% | $46,354 | This school |
| Shepherd University | 97% | $11,363 | 51% | $49,358 | |
| Fairmont State University | 99% | $9,032 | 44% | $46,857 | |
| West Liberty University | 97% | $15,366 | 60% | $43,296 | |
| West Virginia State University | 96% | $11,139 | 39% | $40,492 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Marshall University would cost you $3,861 less per year than Shepherd University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Marshall University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,544).
- Marshall University gives aided families $6,282 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, West Virginia resident | Marshall University | Shepherd University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,162 | $9,056 | +$106 |
| Books & supplies | $1,100 | $1,000 | +$100 |
| Housing & meals | $12,852 | $11,308 | +$1,544 |
| Personal & travel | $2,400 | $2,566 | −$166 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,492 | −$4,329 | +$837 |
| Sticker price | $22,022 | $19,601 | +$2,421 |
| Average grants | −$14,520 | −$8,238 | −$6,282 |
| You pay | $7,502 | $11,363 | −$3,861 |
“+” means Marshall 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 Marshall University
What is the Marshall University acceptance rate?
Marshall University accepts 96% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 6,269 of 6,499 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 910–1150 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
How much does Marshall University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $22,022 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $7,502 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $4,648 and families earning $110k+ pay $15,076.
How much do Marshall University graduates earn?
Former Marshall University students earn a median $46,354 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Marshall University graduation rate?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a Marshall University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Marshall University costs about $29,946 after grants ($6,837 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $46,354 ten years after starting, $13,659 more than high school graduates in West Virginia ($32,695), so the cost is repaid in 2.2 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: “Marshall University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/marshall-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).