Wheeling University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Wheeling, West Virginia. It enrolls 589 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Selective). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Fair
54/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes6
Value55
Affordability48
Selectivity42
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
With an acceptance rate of 63.2%, Wheeling University is moderately selective.
Acceptance Rate
63.2%
Moderate
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 Wheeling University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Becoming less selective ↑
6.9 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Wheeling University isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $20,503 per year. That's in line with the typical net price for private nonprofit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$20,503
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
32%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
61%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$29,875
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,470
Room & Board (off-campus)
$12,501
Books & Supplies
$1,240
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,192
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,542
Total Cost of Attendance
$42,504
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
$17,739
$30,001 – $48,000
$19,718
$48,001 – $75,000
$19,913
$75,001 – $110,000
$22,608
Over $110,000
$22,824
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.
$4,82110%percentile
$7,50025%percentile
$25,125Medianpercentile
$27,05575%percentile
$33,00090%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 $15,200
↓ $9,925
No Pell $15,929
↓ $9,196
Dependent students $15,000
↓ $10,125
Independent students $18,010
↓ $7,115
Female students $20,478
↓ $4,647
Male students $9,500
↓ $15,625
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,250, less than completers ($25,125), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
44% of full-time students who enrolled at Wheeling University graduate within six years, and 59% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
44%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
59%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Wheeling University earn a median of $57,949 ten years after first enrolling. That's above the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$57,949
Earning > $25K
84%
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
$46,800
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$54,100
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$40,100
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$51,200
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$54,100
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $7,300, about 13% 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 ↑
27.0 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 90% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Wheeling University is home to 589 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 37% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
589
Part-Time
1%
First-Generation
37%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 48.7%287
Black 21.6%127
International 20.4%120
Hispanic 4.6%27
Other 1.4%8
Asian 0.7%4
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Wheeling University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Small CityWheeling, West Virginia
Housing
Strongly residential829 beds for 589 students
Adult Learners
9%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated
What You Can Study
Wheeling University offers
a varied set of programs:
15 distinct programs across
10 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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Wheeling University is 14:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
14:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$18M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$37,778
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
32 instructional faculty across 3 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
9
28%
$46,083
Associate Professors
3
9%
$50,000
Instructors
20
63%
$32,208
Pros & Cons of Wheeling University
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Wheeling University tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Reasonable class sizes
Tight-knit, close community feel
Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Below-average completion rate
First-year retention is below typical
Best for:
Based on the data, Wheeling University is a fit for
students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wheeling University
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Wheeling University.
Is Wheeling University hard to get into?
Admissions at Wheeling University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 63.2%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Wheeling University?
Wheeling University has an acceptance rate of 63.2%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Wheeling University cost?
The average net price after aid at Wheeling University is $20,503 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Wheeling University worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $57,949 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $20,503 per year. That's roughly 2.8x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Wheeling University known for?
Wheeling University is best known for its programs in Rehabilitation, Business Administration, Nursing. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Wheeling University graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Wheeling University are $57,949, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Wheeling University accredited?
Yes. Wheeling University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Wheeling University?
Wheeling University enrolls 589 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Wheeling University?
Wheeling University graduates 44% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Wheeling University a public or private college?
Wheeling University is a Private Nonprofit institution.
Where is Wheeling University located?
Wheeling University is located in Wheeling, West Virginia.
What programs does Wheeling University offer?
Wheeling University offers 15 distinct programs. The most popular include Rehabilitation, Business Administration, Nursing.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Wheeling University?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Wheeling University is 14:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
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