More selective than 79% 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 $42,504. College Scorecard.
Higher than 6% of West Virginia colleges we cover and 8% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 100% of West Virginia colleges we cover and 64% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Wheeling University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,103 applicants, Wheeling University admitted 1,581 and 170 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Wheeling University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Wheeling University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Wheeling University took 4.2 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 | $17,739 | $74,681 | 3.0 years |
| $30–48k | $19,718 | $83,013 | 3.3 years |
| $48–75k | $19,913 | $83,834 | 3.3 years |
| $75–110k | $22,608 | $95,180 | 3.8 years |
| $110k+ | $22,824 | $96,089 | 3.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (27% 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 ($57,949) minus $32,695 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WV (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $25,254 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.
Wheeling University majors, earnings & careers
Wheeling University offers 22 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 5
- Science & Math · 5
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
- Business & Finance · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Wheeling University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $66,949 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $45,395 | — |
Quick list of all 22 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$66,949
- Chemistry—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice—
- Education—
- Engineering Science—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- History—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Mathematics—
- Nursing—
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$45,395
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Theology / Ministry—
— 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
Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Wheeling
Overall prices in the Wheeling, WV-OH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,009. Housing costs 49% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 15 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Ohio County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Ohio County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Wheeling University with similar schools
Similar private 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheeling University | 63% | $20,503 | 23% | $57,949 | This school |
| Bethany College | 59% | $18,605 | 47% | $44,512 | |
| University of Charleston | 62% | $22,107 | 46% | $55,774 | |
| Davis & Elkins College | 94% | $18,273 | 39% | $43,411 | |
| Appalachian Bible College | 78% | $11,579 | 71% | $37,467 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Wheeling University would cost you $1,898 more per year than Bethany College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Wheeling University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$6,890).
- Bethany College gives aided families $10,152 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, West Virginia resident | Wheeling University | Bethany College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $29,875 | $36,765 | −$6,890 |
| Books & supplies | $1,300 | $700 | +$600 |
| Housing & meals | $12,420 | $12,936 | −$516 |
| Personal & travel | $2,092 | $2,716 | −$624 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,183 | −$2,359 | −$824 |
| Sticker price | $42,504 | $50,758 | −$8,254 |
| Average grants | −$22,001 | −$32,153 | +$10,152 |
| You pay | $20,503 | $18,605 | +$1,898 |
“+” means Wheeling 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 Wheeling University
What is the Wheeling University acceptance rate?
Wheeling University accepts 63% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,581 of 2,103 applicants were admitted.
How much does Wheeling University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $42,504 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,503 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,739 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,824.
How much do Wheeling University graduates earn?
Former Wheeling University students earn a median $57,949 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Wheeling University graduation rate?
23% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 54% return for their second year.
How long does a Wheeling University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Wheeling University costs about $83,834 after grants ($19,913 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $57,949 ten years after starting, $25,254 more than high school graduates in West Virginia ($32,695), so the cost is repaid in 3.3 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: “Wheeling University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/wheeling-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).