Marshall University
#2 Best Colleges in West Virginia- Graduation Rate
- 50% C-
- About half of students who start complete their degree
- Earnings (10yr)
- $46,354 C+
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $7,502 A-
- 56% less than the typical college
- Acceptance Rate
- 96% F
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A C+ overall grade — average outcomes for a U.S. college. 37.4× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $37.4 over 20 years. Ranked #2 in Best Colleges in West Virginia.
Every $1 spent returns $37.4 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,092,018.
What The Data Says
-
A C+ overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
-
Every $1 invested returns $37.4 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.1%
- Top 92%
- Patents
- 0
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 34
- Downstream influence
Why Marshall University Matters
Marshall University is a public research university in Huntington, WV and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a strong research base and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R2 · High Research
- Enrollment
- 7,266
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Health Professions, Business & Marketing, Humanities, Education
Why students choose Marshall University
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Accessible — admits about 96% of applicants, with a middle-50% SAT of 910–1150. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $7,502 a year after grants and scholarships — 56% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $46,354 ten years after enrolling — 14% above the typical college, against $23,250 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.7% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 40% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.40 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
Marshall University is a solid choice for students looking for a supportive environment to pursue their education. With an acceptance rate of 96%, it welcomes a diverse group of learners, making it easier for many to access higher education. Students here often dive into fields like Health Professions, Business, Education, Psychology, and Humanities, which align well with job market demands.
When it comes to post-graduation life, Marshall graduates see a median earnings of $46,354 after ten years, which can be a promising start for many. While the graduation rate is at 50%, those who do complete their degrees often find themselves with decent earning potential, reflecting a pathway to upward mobility. The affordability factor is also notable, as many students benefit from financial aid, highlighted by a Pell Grant rate of 39%.
Looking at the cost, the net price after aid stands at $7,502, which is quite manageable compared to many institutions. Graduates leave with a median debt of $23,250, a figure that many find reasonable given their earning potential. This environment suits students who are motivated and willing to engage with their studies, particularly those who appreciate a community-focused approach to learning.
Rankings
- #2 Best Colleges in West Virginia
- #2 Best Bachelor's Programs in West Virginia
- #2 Best Master's Programs in West Virginia
- #2 Best Online Colleges in West Virginia
- #2 Best Nursing Colleges in West Virginia
- #2 Best Psychology Colleges in West Virginia
- #3 Best Business Colleges in West Virginia
- #3 Best Education Colleges in West Virginia
Can I Get In?
How selective Marshall University is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into Marshall University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Marshall University, located in Huntington, West Virginia, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 96%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,061. The graduation rate is roughly 50%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 96%
- Retention Rate
- 72%
- SAT Average
- 1061
- ACT Midpoint
- 22
- SAT Range
- 910–1150
- ACT Range
- 19–24
- Full-Time Faculty
- 75%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $8,576
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 16:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.33
- First-Gen Students
- 37%
- Applicants
- 6,356
- Admitted
- 6,158
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Marshall University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Marshall University is $20,342, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $7,502. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,648 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,250 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $9,162
- Out-of-State
- $20,342
- Avg Net Price
- $7,502
- Median Debt
- $23,250
- Pell Grant Rate
- 39%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 40%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $4,648
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $4,430
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $6,837
- Family Income $110K+
- $15,076
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Marshall University — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is Marshall University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Marshall University earn a median of $46,354, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $39,561
- 8 Years
- $43,449
- 10 Years
- $46,354
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.5x
- Earning > $25K
- 56%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (530)
- 29%
- 100% (530)
- 29%
- 100% (530)
- 29%
- 100% (530)
- 29%
Where Grads Go
Top employers of Marshall University’s MBA graduates, by hires reported in the school’s employment report.
- Cabell Huntington Hospital ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- St. Mary's Medical Center ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- River Park Hospital ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- Veterans Administration Medical Center ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- Mildred Mitchell Bateman Hospital ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- Encompass Health ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- King’s Daughters Medical Center ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- Pleasant Valley Hospital ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
- Holzer Medical Center ✓ VerifiedHealthcare & hospitals
How Marshall Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is Marshall University Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, Marshall University delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $7,502/year ($30,008 total). Graduates earn $46,354 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,122,026 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,092,018 (37.4× your investment). The median debt is $23,250, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 50% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $30,008
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,122,026
- Net Return
- $1,092,018
- ROI Multiple
- 37.4×
- Cost Per Year
- $7,502
- Median Debt
- $23,250
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 50%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does Marshall University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Marshall University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.66%, well above the typical college. About 9.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 17.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $76,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.66%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 17.6%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 9.4%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $103,801
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
Marshall University produces inventors at a measurable rate.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.13%
- Top 92% nationally
- Patent Citations
- 34
- Downstream influence
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-10,506,501
Top Programs
The fields Marshall University awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Health Professions 24% $68,105 early-career
- Business & Marketing 14% $53,924 early-career
- Humanities 9% $29,935 early-career
- Education 8% $38,715 early-career
- Psychology 6% $23,568 early-career
- Engineering 5% $68,105 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 5% $22,029 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 4% $24,394 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for Marshall University's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPharmacist$136,030 · 3% growthResilient 82
- CPetroleum Engineer$135,690 · 2% growthResilient 72
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
- B-Optometrist$131,860 · 9% growthResilient 96
- CPurchasing Manager$131,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into Marshall University? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
Marshall University, located in Huntington, West Virginia, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 96%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,061. The graduation rate is roughly 50%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend Marshall University? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at Marshall University is $20,342, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $7,502. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $4,648 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $23,250 in federal student loans.
Is Marshall University Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of Marshall University earn a median of $46,354, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.
Does Marshall University Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
Marshall University is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.66%, well above the typical college. About 9.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 17.6% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $76,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is Marshall University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Marshall University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.40, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to Marshall University.
- Austin Peay State UniversityClarksville, TN · Close peer42% grad $44,301 earn 96% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Pennsylvania Western UniversityCalifornia, PA · Close peer51% grad $47,295 earn 94% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of the CumberlandsWilliamsburg, KY · Close peer48% grad $45,036 earn 99% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Murray State UniversityMurray, KY · Close peer60% grad $44,737 earn 86% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar size
- Southeastern Louisiana UniversityHammond, LA · Close peer45% grad $46,482 earn 99% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Ferris State UniversityBig Rapids, MI · Close peer47% grad $54,735 earn 91% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is Marshall University? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Marshall University. Its economic connectedness score is 1.40, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.00), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note