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West Virginia University at Parkersburg

Parkersburg, WV 1,868 Undergrads 34.6% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$9,420
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$1,807
After Aid
Median Earnings
$47,106
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$1,807
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$47,106
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+34%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$35,171
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate34.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age25.2
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients47.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time65.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS51.5%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 4 Years to Graduation

This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.

Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$429k
-$38k
-$55k
Median Cost$2k/yr
+$423k
-$44k
-$62k
Full Cost$9k/yr
+$395k
-$72k
-$89k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
Never
-∞
Median Cost$2k/yr
Never
-948%
Full Cost$9k/yr
Never
-263%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
  • Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
  • NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.

Social Impact ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.

Donor Return-326%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.

Taxpayer Return-89%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Certificates

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $44,589
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,006
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $47,440
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $32,681
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$14,519
Earnings (4yr)
$44,675
Natl Median: $60,097
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$31,458
Natl Median: $57,702
Lifetime Value Added
-$119k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,078
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians
CertCIP: 1504
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,474
Natl Median: $65,202
Lifetime Value Added
+$96k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$69,300
Natl Median: $43,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$274k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $31,135
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $57,294
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
CertCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $78,149
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,073
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$50,838
Natl Median: $48,702
Lifetime Value Added
+$99k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $33,711
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $24,479
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Associate's Degrees

Agriculture, General
AssocCIP: 0100
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $45,683
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$41,227
Natl Median: $48,733
Lifetime Value Added
-$43k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $37,587
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$13,172
Earnings (4yr)
$47,073
Natl Median: $49,927
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,246
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
AssocCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,283
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$30,179
Natl Median: $46,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $36,221
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $34,184
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Journalism
AssocCIP: 0904
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,496
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$9,000
Earnings (4yr)
$36,446
Natl Median: $44,125
Lifetime Value Added
-$91k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$22,989
Natl Median: $56,973
Lifetime Value Added
-$220k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $50,491
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Non-Professional Legal Studies
AssocCIP: 2200
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,222
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$53,470
Natl Median: $56,451
Lifetime Value Added
+$68k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $53,309
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$14,682
Earnings (4yr)
$74,794
Natl Median: $80,813
Lifetime Value Added
+$276k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$45,951
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$71k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$53,358
Natl Median: $89,619
Lifetime Value Added
+$8k
Median Debt
$17,055
Earnings (4yr)
$43,935
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$89k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$77,910
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$183k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$39,681
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$125k

Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.

For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.

Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.