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2026 Best Value Value Schools in West Virginia

[Value](/majors/social-services-public-administration/public-administration/general/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in West Virginia

2026 Best Value Value Schools in West Virginia

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Value Schools

1

American Public University System
Charles Town, WV

$8,400 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,438 Avg Student Debt

$44,409 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is American Public University System, our #1 best value for value in West Virginia. American Public University System is a very large private for-profit school located in the town of Charles Town. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,400. Value graduates carry a median of $23,438 in student loans. Value graduates of American Public University System earn a median of $70,882 early in their careers. Set against $23,438 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

2

West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV

$10,104 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,772 Avg Student Debt

$55,939 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in value will find it at West Virginia University, which ranked #2. West Virginia University is a very large public school located in the city of Morgantown. Students from in state pay about $10,104 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,608. Students borrow a median of $23,772 to complete the value program here. Early-career value graduates make about $46,625. That is a strong return on a $23,772 median debt. West Virginia University admits about 89% of applicants.

View All Value Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.