WVU Parkersburg vs Bluefield State College

West Virginia University at Parkersburg and Bluefield State College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in West Virginia, offer unique educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. While they share the common goal of empowering students to excel, they differ in several key aspects. WVU Parkersburg boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students, while Bluefield State College maintains a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. Their academic offerings vary, with WVU Parkersburg excelling in programs like Business and Nursing, and Bluefield State College specializing in fields such as Education and Social Work. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details, including graduation rates, student demographics, and additional program offerings, to determine which institution best aligns with your academic pursuits and personal preferences.

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

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

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,971 Out of state: $30,169	In state: $16,090 Out of state: $20,842
Average net price	$11,309	$10,267
Tuition	In state: $8,434 Out of state: $15,632	In state: $3,840 Out of state: $8,592
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,600 Meal plan: $4,800
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	85.0% Average amount $7,250	71.0% Average amount $2,630
Students receiving federal student loan	57.0% Average amount $5,367	22.0% Average amount $1,828
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $7,360	0.0% Average amount $7,260

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,358 Men 39.8% Women 60.2%	2,346 Men 37.0% Women 63.0%
Graduate students	N/A	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	0.8%	N/A
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Small
Dormitory capacity	176	N/A
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	N/A
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Engineering Technologies Education Liberal Arts Business	Liberal Arts Business Health Professions Family and Consumer Sciences Engineering Technologies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	32.3%	41.0%
Dropout rate	48.9%	45.9%
Transferred out	14.7%	9.3%
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	Engineering-Related Fields (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $59,036 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $53,290 Year 2: $54,910 Year 3: $54,129 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,855 Year 2: $32,485 Year 3: $35,894 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,433 Year 2: $25,967 Year 3: $31,091 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,565 Year 2: $28,860 Year 3: $30,664 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,824 Year 3: $27,788 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $19,227 Year 3: N/A Mechanics and Repairers, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,989 Year 3: N/A Precision Metal Working (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $31,802 Year 2: $26,353 Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: N/A

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