Top Ten Reasons to Attend WVU

There are hundreds of reasons why WVU is the right school for you—quality academic programs, outstanding, caring faculty, incredible new facilities, and a campus environment that focuses on your needs. WVU is at its heart a place where dreams can come true.

Here are the top ten reasons why WVU could be where the rest of your life begins:

  1. Academic Excellence
    At WVU, you’ll find the resources and support to far exceed your academic goals. Only six public universities have produced more Rhodes Scholars than WVU, and our tradition of excellence has also produced 30 Goldwater Scholars, 19 Truman Scholars, and 5 members of USA Today’s All-USA College Academic First Team. Our Honors College will enrich your mind and spirit.

  2. Big School Opportunities in a Caring, Student-Centered Environment
    WVU currently offers 185 degree programs, plus all the resources and extracurricular activities of a major research university. What sets us apart, however, is the genuinely student-centered nature of our campus. You won’t feel like a number, and you’ll find it easy to fit in and find your place in our community. Our First-Year Experience initiatives make sure your college career starts off on the right track. You can give back to the community through service learning, spend time studying abroad, hear fascinating speakers in our Festival of Ideas lecture series, unwind during WVUp All Night, or join one of our more than 300 student organizations.

  3. Outstanding Faculty
    Our professors are not only experts in their field, but they're also fantastic teachers who are in the business of mentoring and educating tomorrow’s leaders. Sixteen WVU faculty members have been honored as Carnegie Foundation Professors of Year. WVU professors are known for their accessibility to students. In fact, some serve as Resident Faculty Leaders in the residence halls.

  4. Future Career Success
    Where can a WVU degree take you? Anywhere you want to go! When you graduate from WVU, your degree will open the door to graduate and professional school or potential employers around the globe. Placement rates are 100 percent for some of our programs, such as athletic training, nursing, and physics.

  5. Incredible Facilities
    Climb to new heights on the Student Recreation Center’s climbing wall, study in our state-of-the-art libraries, or conduct experiments in our dazzling new Life Sciences Building.

  6. Mountaineer Pride
    Whether they’re cheering for our athletic teams or battling other universities in a debate tournament, WVU students are fiercely proud of their school. This Mountaineer pride remains long after graduation, as evidenced by the nearly 100 registered WVU alumni chapters across the United States.

  7. Beautiful, Safe Location
    Our campus is surrounded by the safe, vibrant community of Morgantown, which has been described as the #1 small city in America. In Morgantown, you’ll enjoy the shopping, dining, and cultural opportunities of a large city in a friendly West Virginia atmosphere. Plus, outdoors enthusiasts will find themselves in West Virginia's famous playground of outdoor recreation opportunities. First-year students can participate in our unique Adventure WV outdoor orientation program.

  8. Innovative Programs
    In partnership with the FBI, WVU developed the world’s first bachelor’s degree in forensic identification. We continue to respond to the needs of industry and the interests of our students by adding new academic programs. Majors in management information systems and criminology and investigations are among our most recent additions.

  9. Scholarships and Financial Aid
    Regardless of your financial circumstances, your college dreams are possible. WVU students receive over $239 million a year in grants, loans, work-study, fee waivers, and scholarships. About 66 percent of WVU undergraduates receive some financial aid; almost half of the aid given to resident undergraduates is as grants and scholarships.

  10. Research Opportunities
    WVU is a major research university, which means that you may have the chance to participate in world-changing research projects. Our researchers tackle some of society’s most pressing problems, from cancer detection and prevention to the search for alternative fuels.