West Liberty University

Public · Moderately Selective · WV

Photo: Peridotcat (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationWV · South

SettingRural

Undergrads1,511

Student:faculty12:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate42.5%

6-yr grad rate59.5%

Drop-out rate31.1%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$9k

Out-of-state tuition$17k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity18.5%

Gender diversity60.6%

International3%

Identity—

Overview

West Liberty University, founded in 1837 in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle near Wheeling, is the state's oldest institution of higher education. It functions today as a small, accessible public university serving the region with a mix of professional and liberal arts programs.

Academics

Dental hygiene is a well-regarded, long-established program, and the university's zoo science major — training students for careers in zoo and wildlife facility management — is an unusual offering rarely found at schools of similar size. Nursing, business, and teacher education round out the professional programs most students pursue.

Campus & student life

The campus sits on a hilltop above the Ohio River valley near Wheeling, small enough that most students know each other by the time they graduate. Athletics and campus life carry a close, regional character typical of a small public university drawing heavily from West Virginia and the surrounding tri-state area.

Getting in

Admission is accessible rather than competitive, consistent with West Liberty's role as a regional access institution for the Northern Panhandle and nearby Ohio and Pennsylvania.

westliberty.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate97.3%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 890–1123 · ACT 18–24

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying