Fairmont State vs Bluefield State College

Fairmont State University and Bluefield State College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in West Virginia, offer unique educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. Fairmont State, nestled in the scenic hills of Fairmont, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students into its academic fold. Bluefield State, situated in the vibrant city of Bluefield, maintains a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community atmosphere. While Fairmont State excels in fields like Business, Education, and Nursing, Bluefield State shines in programs such as Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Elementary Education. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details regarding acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Bluefield State College	Fairmont State University
Overview
Location	Bluefield, West Virginia	Fairmont, West Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	61.0%	61.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.9%	98.8%
Application fees		$50
SAT range	880 - 1110	900 - 1090
ACT range	17 - 23	17 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	23.0%	46.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	34.0%
Total number of applicants	1,019	1,767
Total number of admissions given out	987	1,745
Admitted students who chose to enroll	346	655
Yield rate	35.1%	37.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,971 Out of state: $30,169	In state: $20,914 Out of state: $30,172
Average net price	$11,309	$11,277
Tuition	In state: $8,434 Out of state: $15,632	In state: $5,946 Out of state: $14,992
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,600 Meal plan: $4,800	Room/dormitory: $5,624 Meal plan: $4,574
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	85.0% Average amount $7,250	94.0% Average amount $6,593
Students receiving federal student loan	57.0% Average amount $5,367	53.0% Average amount $4,996
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $7,360	6.0% Average amount $11,907

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,358 Men 39.8% Women 60.2%	3,273 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	N/A	289 Men 32.9% Women 67.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	11.1%
International students	0.8%	1.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	176	1,058
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	West Virginia Pennsylvania Maryland Virginia Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Engineering Technologies Education Liberal Arts Business	Health Professions Engineering Technologies Education Liberal Arts Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	32.3%	45.4%
Dropout rate	48.9%	33.9%
Transferred out	14.7%	20.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $50,489 Year 2: $48,935 Year 3: $51,981 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,859 Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $51,131 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,154 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,307 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,729 Year 2: $30,554 Year 3: N/A Social Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,986 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: N/A	Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,279 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $62,993 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,620 Year 2: $63,855 Year 3: $61,157 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,294 Year 2: $54,153 Year 3: $58,294 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $58,529 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $56,475 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,809 Year 2: $37,306 Year 3: $43,308 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,042 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $41,321 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,631 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: $39,952 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,253 Year 2: $31,189 Year 3: $39,801 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,125 Year 2: $31,495 Year 3: $38,357 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,334 Year 2: $28,816 Year 3: $34,425

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