West Virginia University Nursing: earnings, debt & careers

Nursing graduates of West Virginia University earn a median $83,750 four years after graduating ($71,298 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $26,000. That is $1,462 below the U.S. median for Nursing graduates ($85,212 across 858 colleges), and ranks 6th of 12 West Virginia colleges (5th of 10 among colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees).

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$83,750

U.S. median for this major: $85,212.

College Scorecard field of study; 245 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$71,298

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$26,000

About 31% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $27,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$15,634 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $26,415. College Scorecard.

West Virginia University Nursing: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

West Virginia University graduates$83,750
West Virginia median (12 colleges)$83,255 (+$495)
U.S. median (858 colleges)$85,212 (−$1,462)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Nursing nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses West Virginia University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$9,450$40,919under 1 year
$30–48k$12,501$54,1291.1 years
$48–75k$14,179$61,3951.2 years
$75–110k$18,710$81,0141.6 years
$110k+$20,273$87,7821.7 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (43% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Nursing graduates 4 years after graduating ($83,750) minus $32,695 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WV (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $51,055 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Nursing at West Virginia colleges

Every West Virginia college we cover that reports Nursing graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Davis & Elkins College$105,127—$18,27339%
2Fairmont State University$86,071$33,625$9,03244%
3University of Charleston$83,847$27,250$22,10746%
4Potomac State College of West Virginia Universitymostly 2-year$83,750$26,000$9,19731%
5West Virginia University Institute of Technology$83,750$26,000$9,33733%
6West Virginia University$83,750$26,000$15,63465%
7Bluefield State University$82,760$26,000$13,68437%
8West Liberty University$82,117$29,408$15,36660%
9West Virginia Wesleyan College$80,901$27,000$18,08357%
10Shepherd University$78,764$27,206$11,36351%
11West Virginia University at Parkersburgbachelor's & associate$77,910$18,223$1,8079%
12Marshall University$77,609$27,000$7,50251%

2 more West Virginia colleges offer Nursing but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Nursing graduates

Registered nurse

Morgantown area$80,130
West Virginia$80,130
U.S.$97,550

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.6% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Medical and Health Services Managers

Morgantown area$123,020
West Virginia$112,010
U.S.$123,860

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +24.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at West Virginia University, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About West Virginia University

Related majors at West Virginia University

West Virginia University Nursing questions

How much do West Virginia University Nursing graduates earn?

Nursing graduates of West Virginia University earn a median $83,750 four years after graduating and $71,298 one year after. The U.S. median for Nursing graduates across 858 colleges is $85,212.

How much debt do West Virginia University Nursing graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Nursing graduates of West Virginia University is $26,000, about 31% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.

Is West Virginia University a good school for Nursing in West Virginia?

On pay, Nursing graduates of West Virginia University earn $83,750 four years out, $495 above the median for the same major across 12 West Virginia colleges ($83,255) and $1,462 below the U.S. median ($85,212). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does West Virginia University rank for Nursing in West Virginia?

Of 12 West Virginia colleges reporting Nursing graduate earnings, West Virginia University ranks 6th; among the 10 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 5th. The highest is Davis & Elkins College at $105,127.

What jobs do Nursing graduates get?

A common career is registered nurse, with a median wage of $80,130 in the Morgantown, WV area and $97,550 nationally. Others include medical and health services managers.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “West Virginia University Nursing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/west-virginia-university/majors/nursing (College Scorecard and BLS data).