University of Charleston

Overview

Rankings

• #1 Best Business Colleges in West Virginia
• #1 Best Nursing Colleges in West Virginia
• #3 Best Criminal Justice Colleges in West Virginia
• #5 Best Colleges in West Virginia
• #5 Best Bachelor's Programs in West Virginia
• #5 Best Master's Programs in West Virginia
• #5 Best Online Colleges in West Virginia
• #25 Most Affordable Colleges in West Virginia

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into University of Charleston? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

As a private institution in Charleston, West Virginia, University of Charleston offers a realistic path to admission, with roughly 62% of applicants receiving an offer. The graduation rate is roughly 46%.

Acceptance Rate

62%

Retention Rate

75%

Full-Time Faculty

55%

Faculty Salary (mo)

$7,297

Student–Faculty Ratio

16:1

Diversity Index

0.54

First-Gen Students

43%

Applicants

1,571

Admitted

1,064

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend University of Charleston? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at University of Charleston is $33,800, 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 $22,107. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $21,427 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $19,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition

$33,800

Out-of-State

$33,800

Avg Net Price

$22,107

Median Debt

$19,500

Pell Grant Rate

31%

Federal Loan Rate

35%

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at University of Charleston — 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 University of Charleston Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of University of Charleston earn a median of $55,774, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry

$42,698

8 Years

$49,711

10 Years

$55,774

Debt-to-Earnings

0.35x

Earning > $25K

65%

Social Mobility

Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records

Does University of Charleston Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes

University of Charleston 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 1.21%, well above the typical college. Access is a real strength here. Roughly 10.7% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile, a high share that gives low-income students a real foothold. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 11.2% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $77,700, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.

Mobility Rate

1.21%

Bottom 20% → Top 20%

Success Rate

11.2%

If bottom 20% get in

From Bottom 20%

10.7%

Share of students

Parent Median Income

$105,567

today's $ (2015 cohort data)

Innovation & Knowledge Creation

Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education

University of Charleston produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 23 patents tied to its graduates.

Inventor Rate

0.24%

Top 72% nationally

Patents Produced

23

Linked to graduates

Patent Citations

178

Downstream influence

Inventors From Low-Income

0.44%

Bottom-20% families

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Investment Income

$761,338

Top Programs

The fields University of Charleston 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.

• Business & Marketing 53% $60,660 early-career
• Health Professions 33% $68,397 early-career
• Criminal Justice 4%
• Biology & Biomedical 1%
• Psychology 1%
• Social Sciences 1%
• Communications 1%
• Computer Science & IT 1%

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.