NC State vs West Virginia University (WVU)

North Carolina State University at Raleigh and West Virginia University, both esteemed public research universities, offer distinct educational experiences. NC State boasts a higher acceptance rate (51%) compared to WVU's 78%, indicating a more competitive admissions process. NC State's student body is more diverse, with a larger international student population. In terms of academics, NC State excels in engineering, computer science, and agriculture, while WVU is renowned for its programs in business, health sciences, and education. Both universities offer a vibrant campus life, with NC State having a slightly larger undergraduate population. Ultimately, the choice between these two excellent institutions depends on individual preferences, academic goals, and campus culture fit. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your aspirations.

	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	West Virginia University
Overview
Location	Raleigh, North Carolina	Morgantown, West Virginia
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	94.0%	81.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	47.5%	89.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $85 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1270 - 1440	1030 - 1230
ACT range	27 - 32	21 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	21.0%	57.0%
Students submitting ACT score	34.0%	38.0%
Total number of applicants	32,998	17,074
Total number of admissions given out	15,669	15,336
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,046	4,313
Yield rate	32.2%	28.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,986 Out of state: $45,771	In state: $21,756 Out of state: $38,100
Average net price	$14,328	$13,422
Tuition	In state: $6,535 Out of state: $27,320	In state: $8,976 Out of state: $25,320
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,768 Meal plan: $4,833	Room/dormitory: $6,184 Meal plan: $5,504
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	62.0% Average amount $9,318	89.0% Average amount $10,867
Students receiving federal student loan	40.0% Average amount $5,022	52.0% Average amount $5,294
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $14,600	15.0% Average amount $16,332

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	26,505 Men 50.9% Women 49.1%	19,599 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%
Graduate students	10,326 Men 49.8% Women 50.2%	5,875 Men 44.4% Women 55.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	12.9%	55.3%
International students	9.5%	5.3%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	10,024	6,956
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	North Carolina Virginia New York New Jersey Maryland	West Virginia Pennsylvania Virginia Maryland Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Agriculture Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Business Engineering Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	84.4%	63.9%
Dropout rate	5.0%	11.3%
Transferred out	9.6%	22.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Software and Media Applications (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $99,745 Year 2: $103,078 Year 3: $122,470 Computer Science (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $94,886 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $113,307 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,892 Year 2: $82,440 Year 3: $92,582 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,869 Year 2: $74,200 Year 3: $88,476 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $73,974 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $88,260 Civil Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,860 Year 2: $81,702 Year 3: $86,459 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,857 Year 2: $70,710 Year 3: $83,417 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,627 Year 2: $70,057 Year 3: $83,342 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,222 Year 2: $69,757 Year 3: $81,552 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,081 Year 2: $70,253 Year 3: $80,463	Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $112,323 Year 2: $125,015 Year 3: $143,709 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $103,140 Year 2: $118,155 Year 3: $119,358 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,573 Year 2: $94,763 Year 3: $96,536 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $77,732 Year 2: $81,997 Year 3: $91,425 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $71,711 Year 2: $81,333 Year 3: $82,001 Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,468 Year 2: $61,303 Year 3: $79,782 Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,292 Year 2: $68,047 Year 3: $77,798 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,506 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $77,273 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,040 Year 2: $65,238 Year 3: $76,205 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,477 Year 2: $66,069 Year 3: $76,022

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