West Virginia University (WVU) vs OU-Athens
West Virginia University (WVU) and Ohio University-Main Campus (OU) are two prominent public research universities located in the heart of Appalachia. While they share some similarities, there are also key differences between the two institutions that prospective students should consider. WVU boasts a slightly higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, while OU has a higher graduation rate and a more diverse student population. Both universities offer a wide range of academic programs, with popular majors including business, engineering, and education. To help you make an informed decision about which university is the right fit for you, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into the details of each institution. Explore the table to discover more about the acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and other important factors that distinguish WVU and OU.
|
![]() Ohio University-Main Campus |
![]() West Virginia University |
---|---|---|
Overview |
||
Location | Athens, Ohio | Morgantown, West Virginia |
Campus setting | Town: Distant | City: Small |
College type | 4 year | 4 year |
Control/business model | Public | Public |
Calendar system | Semester | Semester |
Degrees offered | Undergraduate and Graduate | Undergraduate and Graduate |
Students retention rate | 81.0% | 81.0% |
![]() |
Yes | Yes |
Religious affiliation | ||
|
||
Admission |
||
Acceptance rate | 88.6% | 89.8% |
Application fees |
Undergraduate:
$50
Graduate:
$50
|
Undergraduate:
$50
Graduate:
$60
|
SAT range | 1070 - 1290 | 1030 - 1230 |
ACT range | 22 - 27 | 21 - 27 |
Students submitting SAT score | 12.0% | 57.0% |
Students submitting ACT score | 49.0% | 38.0% |
Total number of applicants | 21,733 | 17,074 |
Total number of admissions given out | 19,245 | 15,336 |
Admitted students who chose to enroll | 3,664 | 4,313 |
Yield rate | 19.0% | 28.1% |
Test scores (SAT/ACT) | N/A | N/A |
High school GPA | Required | Required |
Recommendation letters | Not required | Not required |
High school transcript | Not required | Not required |
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) | Required | Not required |
|
||
Tuition and Fees |
||
Sticker price |
In state:
$28,616
Out of state:
$38,586
|
In state:
$21,756
Out of state:
$38,100
|
Average net price | $20,496 | $13,422 |
Tuition |
In state:
$12,840
Out of state:
$22,810
|
In state:
$8,976
Out of state:
$25,320
|
Room & board |
Room/dormitory:
$7,308
Meal plan:
$6,918
|
Room/dormitory:
$6,184
Meal plan:
$5,504
|
Available payment plans |
|
|
|
||
Financial Aid |
||
Students receiving financial aid
(Grants & scholarships) |
99.0%
Average amount $8,756 |
89.0%
Average amount $10,867 |
Students receiving federal student loan |
49.0%
Average amount $4,890 |
52.0%
Average amount $5,294 |
Students taking out private loans |
8.0%
Average amount $10,581 |
15.0%
Average amount $16,332 |
|
||
Students and Campus |
||
Undergraduate students |
18,399
Men 39.6% Women 60.4% |
19,599
Men 47.9% Women 52.1% |
Graduate students |
6,398
Men 42.2% Women 57.8% |
5,875
Men 44.4% Women 55.6% |
Racial/ethnic diversity |
Very Low
|
Very Low
|
Out-of-state students | 15.7% | 55.3% |
International students | 3.9% | 5.3% |
Campus local/setting | Town: Distant | City: Small |
Dormitory capacity | 7,173 | 6,956 |
First year students are required to live on campus? | No | No |
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from | Ohio Pennsylvania Illinois New York West Virginia | West Virginia Pennsylvania Virginia Maryland Ohio |
|
||
Academics |
||
Popular study areas |
|
|
Students to faculty ratio | 17:1 | 18:1 |
Institutional accreditation | Higher Learning Commission | Higher Learning Commission |
|
||
Outcome |
||
Graduation rate | 66.9% | 63.9% |
Dropout rate | 4.1% | 11.3% |
Transferred out | 27.6% | 22.5% |
Alumni salary by major (Top 10) |
Engineering, General (Master's Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
Osteopathic Medicine/Osteopathy (First Professional Degrees)
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Air Transportation (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Dentistry (First Professional Degrees)
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees)
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
|
Compare Similar Colleges
The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing
statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you
don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page.
There, you can search for the
specific colleges and initiate your comparison.













































































































































































