I am not going to sell you on this university or talk you out of it. I am going to show you what the federal government, through IPEDS, records about it: who studies there, how much it costs, how it admits students, and what happens to the students who enroll. With that, you can ask the question that truly matters: does this university fit what my child wants and what my family can afford?
What Kind of University It Is
University of Charleston is in the city of Charleston, West Virginia, within Kanawha County, in the city’s metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is right downtown. If your child plans to live at home and commute by car, do not trust the map: drive the route yourself on a weekday at the time your child would have class. The actual travel time is almost never what Google Maps promises.
It is a private, nonprofit, four-year institution. The Carnegie system, which classifies US colleges and universities by what they do, places it among small, primarily residential doctoral and professional universities. IPEDS confirms that it offers doctoral degrees as its highest reported level, although that is an institutional fact: it does not say whether the program your child is interested in reaches that level. Be careful if you find old guides: the Carnegie category it had in 2015 is not the one it has today.
University of Charleston is not listed as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges and universities in the federal directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; this one does not. That does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Find out by asking what organizations and cultural centers exist today and by speaking with someone who already studies on campus.
Who Will Share the Classroom with Your Child
Here is a figure worth looking at directly: out of every 100 undergraduate students in fall 2023, only 8 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with 941 similar selective private schools, it ranks below the midpoint of the group. That does not make the school bad or rule it out from your list. If your child will be one of the few, ask what student groups and support services exist, and try to speak with a Latino student who is already there before deciding.
Another surprising fact: 53 out of every 100 undergraduate students are between 25 and 64 years old. That is more than half. This is not a campus filled only with 18-year-olds fresh out of high school; they study alongside adults who have returned to school. And there are more men than women among undergraduates: only 39 out of every 100 students are women.
One missing fact: IPEDS does not have information reported for this school in 2023 about where its entering students came from. It simply is not there.
In terms of size, University of Charleston had 2,758 people enrolled in the official fall count: a medium-sized institution, neither among the largest nor the smallest in its group. But that number includes graduate enrollment. The total is divided between 2,087 undergraduate and 671 graduate students. If your child is entering an undergraduate program, the number that matters is 2,087, not the total.
How the Academic Year Works
The year is organized into two semesters of about 15 weeks each, with the same calendar dates for all students. The university reported accepting two forms of prior credit: AP examinations and what IPEDS calls credit for life experience, which may include independent study, work experience, portfolios, licenses or certifications, or military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is a hard truth that many families discover too late: the university’s statement that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every examination. This report does not tell us what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific program. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
What Students Study There
In a recent year, University of Charleston awarded 577 bachelor’s degrees. Of those, 368—that is, 64 out of every 100—were in business and administration. That is a very high concentration: compared with 942 similar selective private schools, University of Charleston ranks in the top quartile for the number of degrees awarded annually, and much of that is due to this one field.
The fact that one field accounts for nearly two-thirds of the degrees does not say whether it is the best option for your child, or anything about the specific program your child is interested in. If your child’s interest is in another field, ask about the exact curriculum, how many students graduated from it last year, and how easy it is to get the necessary classes without falling behind.
Regarding class-group size, the university reports 15 full-time-equivalent students for every full-time-equivalent instructional staff member. It is a middle-range ratio on the overall scale, but compared specifically with schools of the same type, it ranks in the highest quartile: three out of every four similar schools report an equal or lower ratio. This does not indicate the actual size of any classroom; it is an institutional ratio, not a promise about first-year classes.
Academic Paths Reported by the Institution
University of Charleston reports offering study abroad, a complete program that can be taken exclusively during evenings or weekends, and state-approved teacher preparation and certification pathways. These are reported opportunities, not guarantees of access or quality for every student; ask admissions by name how they operate today.
How It Admits Students
This is where many families need clarity, so let us take it slowly. University of Charleston does not have open admissions: it reviews application materials before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations reported to IPEDS, it marked three as required: the high school record, the high school GPA, and an English proficiency examination for applicants to whom it applies.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in another language, ask now whether that examination applies and what provides an exemption. This is one of those things families discover late, when there is no longer enough time to resolve it.
The list of factors the university reported as not considered is longer than the list of required factors: class rank, completion of the recommended course plan, letters of recommendation, a portfolio or competency examination, work experience, and whether a relative attended the university. Even if submitted, the report says they do not factor into the admissions decision. The published undergraduate application fee is $25.
Regarding standardized tests, University of Charleston reported that it does not consider SAT or ACT scores in the admissions decision, even if applicants submit them. This response does not indicate whether the university uses them for scholarships or course placement; you must ask about that separately.
How Selective Is It?
In 2023, University of Charleston received 1,635 first-time applications and admitted 1,055 applicants. That is 65 out of every 100—mid-range selectivity, slightly below the midpoint of its selective private four-year peers. Admission is not guaranteed, but it is not a lottery either: the application is reviewed.
Here is a fact that changes how to read that figure: out of every 100 admitted applicants, only 24 ultimately enrolled. The other 76 had a place here and did not take it. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person chose what they chose. What I can tell you is this: what other people decided does not predict what you will be offered. Wait for your own letter with your actual net price before drawing conclusions.
Transfers: Who Arrives and Who Leaves
University of Charleston receives a substantial number of transfer students: 402 undergraduate students entered for the first time in 2023 after having studied at another institution.
But a substantial number also leave. Of the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 31 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing here within the expected years. Compared with 542 similar selective private schools, that share of students leaving ranks on the high side: seven out of every ten peers saw an equal or smaller share leave.
Here is something almost no one explains, yet it matters greatly when reading graduation statistics: a student who transfers to another school and graduates there does not count as a University of Charleston graduate. Remember this when comparing graduation rates among universities.
Cost: What the Listed Price Says
At University of Charleston, among 42 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $20,938. Among 26 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $21,133; among 44 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $23,451. For dependent students, the band combines their parents’ income and their own.
There is a difference of $2,513 between the average for the lowest-income band (42 students) and the average for the highest-income band (44 students). Among first-year students who received any scholarship or grant, the average was $21,100.
Even after scholarships and grants were deducted, the average net price for the lowest-income families was $20,938 in academic year 2022-23. If that number does not fit your budget, it is better to see it today than in August.
An average does not indicate how different the individual cases were within that band; this figure cannot establish that there were families far below or above the published amount. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with scholarships and grants, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional scholarships or grants.
Financial Aid and Loans
Aid that does not have to be repaid—scholarships and grants—reached 58 out of every 100 degree-seeking students. That is more than half, but not everyone. Among those who received it, the average for the year was $18,419. Compared with its peers, this share of students receiving scholarships or grants falls in the lowest quartile.
The federal Pell Grant, which is for families with demonstrated financial need, reached 29 out of every 100 students. That is less than one-third. These two figures—58 receiving scholarships or grants overall and 29 receiving Pell Grants—do not share a denominator or the exact same year, so do not subtract one from the other to derive a third figure; they simply indicate that much of the aid students receive does not depend solely on family income.
Regarding loans, 34 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in school year 2022-23. Among those who borrowed, the average was $7,192 that year. Compared with its peers, this share of students with loans ranks on the low side: seven out of every ten similar schools had a higher share.
That average covers only one year and counts only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes take out, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which a student leaves upon graduating; calculating that would require adding all the years, and that number is not in this report.
Here is the truth I want you to take away from this section: this percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would have to borrow comes from your child’s own financial aid letter. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school and before committing to it.
The institution also reports a tuition installment payment plan and participation in a Promise program, options worth asking about by name if monthly cash flow is your primary concern.
Campus Life, ROTC, Athletics, and Learning Modality
University of Charleston has its own housing. No one is required to live there—that is the institution’s response when asked whether it is a universal requirement—but that does not indicate whether a specific program may require it. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in the largest plan. The reported maximum capacity of institution-owned housing is 756 students. The existence of rooms does not guarantee an available bed: request the annual rate, application deadline, and whether housing is guaranteed or has a waiting list in writing.
ROTC is available, and the only branch confirmed in writing in the report is the Army. The Navy and Air Force are not marked. Not confirmed does not mean impossible; it means you must ask directly if your child is interested in another branch.
In athletics, the university competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA. Teams are reported in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The membership belongs to the school, not your child: if your child is interested in a sport, write directly to the coach and ask about roster availability, division, and whether athletic aid is available, and get it in writing.
Regarding distance education, one fact is worth highlighting: 48 out of every 100 undergraduate students were taking all their classes at a distance in the fall count. That is a high share compared with similar schools—it is in the quartile with the largest share of undergraduates studying this way. But this figure covers all undergraduates together, not your child’s specific program. One program may be almost entirely online while the one next to it is almost entirely in person on campus.
The library operates with employed staff, and its spending exceeded the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government. It has physical and digital materials and participates in interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that specific databases exist for your child’s program; ask about them by program name.
Finally, the institution reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, and a disability-services web address. The fact that these services are reported does not indicate how accessible or effective they are in practice; verify that by visiting or calling directly.
What Happens to Students Who Enroll: Retention and Graduation
Here we reach the part that carries the most weight because it describes what actually happens to entire cohorts of students.
Of the cohort that entered in fall 2022—236 first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students—163 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. That is 69 out of every 100. Compared with 930 similar selective private schools, this share ranks toward the bottom: seven out of every ten of those schools retained a higher share.
There is another cohort of 30 part-time students, with retention of 37 out of every 100. Do not combine these two figures: they describe different groups with different circumstances, and neither proves that the mode of study caused the outcome.
And now we come to graduation. Of the 321 first-time, full-time students who entered a bachelor’s degree program in 2017, 148 had graduated from this school six years later. That is 46 out of every 100—almost evenly divided. At four years, the figure was 39 out of every 100, just 7 points lower than at six years. Compared with 920 similar schools, this graduation rate ranks in the bottom quartile: three out of every four peers reported a higher share of graduates.
Here is something I want to tell you with all the calm and seriousness it deserves: 46 out of every 100 with a degree from this school within six years is a number you need to face directly, not so you automatically rule out the university, but so you ask the right questions. This report counts outcomes, not the reasons behind each case. Before deciding, ask directly what concrete support exists to help a student reach the goal and how long, on average, your child’s specific program takes to complete.
Also remember who is included in this count: only first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students. It does not include students who transferred in or those who started part time. If your child will enter as part of another group, request the rate for that specific group.
There is a third measure at eight years, using a broader cohort that combines first-time and prior-experience students as well as full-time and part-time students: of 911 students who entered between 2015 and 2016, 56 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the August 2023 reporting date. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 51 out of every 100—seven points below those who did not receive one. And within that same broad cohort, the subcohort of first-time, full-time students had a lower outcome: 44 out of every 100, twelve points below the overall count. For 23 out of every 100, enrollment status remains unknown—the report did not determine whether they were still enrolled elsewhere, and it does not say why.
What This Means for Your Family
You now know, through federal government figures, one of the three pieces you need to decide. You know how selective the university is, its listed cost and what a family ultimately pays on average based on income, what its classrooms are like in proportional terms, who shares the campus with your child, and how likely it is—statistically, not individually—that a student like your child will ultimately graduate from there.
None of these numbers decides for you. A graduation rate of 46 out of every 100 does not say whether your child will graduate; it describes what happened to an entire cohort under its own circumstances, many of which you do not know and the report does not describe either. An average net price of $20,938 is not what your family will pay; it is what other families in an income band similar to yours paid on average.
Your child’s role is to investigate the specific program of interest, speak with current students, write to the coach if a sport is involved, and ask about the classes and support available for that program. Your role is to complete the FAFSA, request the financial aid letter in writing, verify the English examination requirement if applicable, and compare the actual net price—not the listed price—with what your family can afford without compromising its stability.
Combine this piece with what your child wants to study, what your child has already built in high school, and what your family is willing and able to pay. A real plan comes from that combination, not from a single number.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by University of Charleston to the US Department of Education’s IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System), corresponding to different years and cycles as indicated in the text. Best College Aid does not represent University of Charleston or any government agency; this article is informational material, not personalized admissions advice.