Davis & Elkins College is a private nonprofit institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Elkins, West Virginia. It enrolls 661 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Fair
52/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes13
Value37
Affordability67
Selectivity11
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Davis & Elkins College admits 94.3% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
94.3%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Davis & Elkins College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
18.4 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $18,273 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$31,820
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,825
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,446
Books & Supplies
$1,578
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,642
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,464
Total Cost of Attendance
$44,888
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$15,999
$30,001 – $48,000
$17,005
$48,001 – $75,000
$15,690
$75,001 – $110,000
$19,465
Over $110,000
$22,496
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$4,00010%percentile
$5,52525%percentile
$27,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$32,36790%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $17,500
↓ $9,500
No Pell $13,978
↓ $13,022
Dependent students $17,500
↓ $9,500
Independent students $14,750
↓ $12,250
Female students $17,573
↓ $9,427
Male students $15,250
↓ $11,750
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
21% of students who start here finish within six years, and 62% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
21%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
62%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $43,411 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$43,411
Earning > $25K
71%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$37,000
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$46,700
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$36,500
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$39,200
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$47,700
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $9,700, about 21% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
14.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 77% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 661 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 48% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
661
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
48%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 59.9%396
International 14.5%96
Black 6.5%43
Hispanic 6.4%42
Other 2.6%17
Asian 0.6%4
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Davis & Elkins College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Davis & Elkins College offers
a varied set of programs:
29 distinct programs across
16 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$121M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$50,195
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
48 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
7
15%
$58,926
Associate Professors
13
27%
$50,192
Assistant Professors
22
46%
$48,741
Instructors
6
13%
$45,349
Pros & Cons of Davis & Elkins College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Davis & Elkins College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
No graduate programs offered at this institution
Best for:
Based on the data, Davis & Elkins College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Davis & Elkins College
The questions families ask most about Davis & Elkins College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Davis & Elkins College hard to get into?
Not especially. Davis & Elkins College admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 94.3%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Davis & Elkins College?
94.3% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Davis & Elkins College cost?
Budget around $18,273 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Davis & Elkins College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $43,411 a year against a net price of $18,273, about 2.4 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Davis & Elkins College known for?
Mostly Kinesiology, Business Administration, Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Davis & Elkins College graduates earn?
About $43,411 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Davis & Elkins College accredited?
Yes. Davis & Elkins College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Davis & Elkins College?
661 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Davis & Elkins College?
21% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Davis & Elkins College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Davis & Elkins College located?
Davis & Elkins College is located in Elkins, West Virginia.
What programs does Davis & Elkins College offer?
29 different programs, most commonly Kinesiology, Business Administration, Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Davis & Elkins College?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in West Virginia
Other colleges in West Virginia share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
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