University of Virginia's College at Wise is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Wise, Virginia. It enrolls 1,101 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.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
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.
Strong
74/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes31
Value91
Affordability81
Selectivity58
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
University of Virginia's College at Wise admits 28.5% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
28.5%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
945 – 1120
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
18 – 22
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Virginia's College at Wise is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
34.5 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 $9,210 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. 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 (in-state)
$11,780
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$28,010
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,816
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,000
Books & Supplies
$1,600
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,410
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,970
Total Cost of Attendance
$26,593
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
$8,891
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,668
$48,001 – $75,000
$7,455
$75,001 – $110,000
$8,813
Over $110,000
$16,176
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.
$2,75010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$16,750Medianpercentile
$22,00075%percentile
$29,91990%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 $11,000
↓ $5,750
No Pell $9,500
↓ $7,250
Dependent students $11,000
↓ $5,750
Independent students $8,375
↓ $8,375
Female students $9,500
↓ $7,250
Male students $11,500
↓ $5,250
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,250, less than completers ($16,750), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
39% of students who start here finish within six years, and 72% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. 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
39%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
72%
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 $45,325 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)
$45,325
Earning > $25K
77%
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
$38,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$49,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$40,500
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$46,400
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$44,100
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $10,600, about 22% 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 ↑
16.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 82% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,101 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 37% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
1,101
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
37%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 35.7%393
Black 3.7%41
Asian 1.0%11
Other 0.8%9
Hispanic 0.4%4
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Virginia's College at Wise. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of Virginia's College at Wise offers
a varied set of programs:
10 distinct programs across
9 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 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$16,195
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$159M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$82,217
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
109 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
27
25%
$109,005
Associate Professors
35
32%
$79,486
Assistant Professors
21
19%
$69,062
Instructors
26
24%
$68,702
Pros & Cons of University of Virginia's College at Wise
No college is right for everyone. Here is where University of Virginia's College at Wise 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
Modest first-year retention
Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for:
Based on the data, University of Virginia's College at Wise is a fit for
families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about University of Virginia's College at Wise
The questions families ask most about University of Virginia's College at Wise, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is University of Virginia's College at Wise hard to get into?
University of Virginia's College at Wise is highly selective. Its acceptance rate is 28.5%, so admitted students generally have strong grades, competitive test scores, and a well-rounded application.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Virginia's College at Wise?
28.5% of applicants are admitted. Fewer than a third of applicants get in, so treat it as a stretch rather than a safe bet. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for University of Virginia's College at Wise?
Aim for 1120 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 945 and 1120 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for University of Virginia's College at Wise?
Aim for 22 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 18 and 22 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does University of Virginia's College at Wise cost?
Budget around $9,210 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 University of Virginia's College at Wise worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,325 a year against a net price of $9,210, about 4.9 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 University of Virginia's College at Wise known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, Business. 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 University of Virginia's College at Wise graduates earn?
About $45,325 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 University of Virginia's College at Wise accredited?
Yes. University of Virginia's College at Wise is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend University of Virginia's College at Wise?
1,101 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 University of Virginia's College at Wise?
39% 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 University of Virginia's College at Wise a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is University of Virginia's College at Wise located?
University of Virginia's College at Wise is located in Wise, Virginia.
What programs does University of Virginia's College at Wise offer?
10 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, Business. 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 University of Virginia's College at Wise?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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