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Best Nursing Schools in West Virginia for 2023

WRITTEN BY Incredible Health Staff
DATE

Dec 19 2022


CATEGORIES Nursing Schools

Nursing Degrees & Schools / Best Schools West Virginia

With large hospitals employers and an increase in nurses seeking West Virginia as home, the Mountain State is an increasingly attractive place for nursing students to start the journeys in healthcare. 

Its top employer, West Virginia United Health System, operates dozens of hospitals statewide. In addition, a West Virginia Center for Nursing 2021 report documented an increase in registered nurses coming from other states, which could indicate attractive workplace conditions in the Mountain State, such as high salaries.

Read about the best nursing schools in West Virginia and take this opportunity to improve your career as well. 

West Virginia’s top programs:

  1. West Virginia University
  2. Marshall University
  3. Shepherd University
  4. Fairmont State University
  5. West Liberty University

1. West Virginia University — Score 74

NCLEX pass rate: 100%

In-state annual tuition: $9,384

Out-of-state annual tuition: $26,568

West Virginia University’s School of Nursing has a nearly 100% employment rate. The institution offers a dual master’s degree program, MSN/MBA, for registered nurses who want to take an administrative path in their career. 

Faith Community Nursing and Addiction Nursing Care are some examples of CEU courses that the organization also provides. It has an 8:1 student-faculty ratio, and five different campuses across West Virginia. The university offers mental health services for all undergraduates in health sciences majors, including nursing.

Online classes: yes

The CCNE-accredited programs for nursing students are:

  • BSN
  • MSN
  • DNP
  • PGC APRN

Graduation rate: 60%

Programs offered:

  • BSN
  • BS/BA to BSN
  • RN to BSN
  • MSN
  • Post-MSN
  • DNP
  • PhD

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2. Marshall University — Score 74

NCLEX pass rate: 100%

In-state annual tuition: $8,604

Out-of-state annual tuition: $19,658

Marshall University has partnerships with top facilities, such as St. Mary’s Medical Center, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital and Pleasant Valley Hospital, to provide clinical experiences to its undergraduates.

Its MSN program had a 96.43% pass rate on the family nurse practitioner certification exam in 2021. In addition to its ACEN accreditation in many programs, its nurse-midwifery program is accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME), and its psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program is accredited by CCNE.

Online classes: yes

The ACEN-accredited programs for nursing students are:

  • BSN
  • MSN
  • Post-MSN

Graduation rate: 50%

Programs offered:

  • BSN
  • BS/BA to BSN
  • RN to BSN
  • MSN
  • Post-MSN
  • DNP

3. Shepherd University — Score 64

NCLEX pass rate: 89%

In-state annual tuition: $8,282

Out-of-state annual tuition: $18,722

Shepherd University offers multiple entry ways to its DNP program: through BSN, MSN to FNP/DNP, MSN to PMHNP/DNP or MSN without a NP certification. The school is accredited by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses (WVBOERN). 

Its BSN program follows a patient-centered curriculum. The institution also has top simulation labs to help students acquire knowledge in critical care, mother-child, and independent living specialties.

Online classes: yes

The CCNE-accredited programs for nursing students are:

  • BSN
  • DNP
  • PGC APRN

Graduation rate: 49%

Programs offered:

  • BSN
  • RN to BSN
  • DNP
  • Post Graduate Certificate Program

4. Fairmont State University — Score 44

NCLEX pass rate: 88%

In-state annual tuition: $8,210

Out-of-state annual tuition: $17,840

Fairmont State University’s BSN program is accredited by CCNE and its ADN program is accredited by ACEN. Also, the bachelor’s degree program had a 100% employment rate in 2017 and 2018. The college was named one of the best nursing schools in West Virginia by RNCareers.org.

Online classes: yes

Graduation rate: 42%

Programs offered:

  • ASN Program
  • BSN

5. West Liberty University — Score 44

NCLEX pass rate: 88%

In-state annual tuition: $8,176

Out-of-state annual tuition: $17,100

West Liberty University is rated one of the best regional universities in the South by the U.S. News & World Report. Its BSN program is accredited by the CCNE. Its entry-level/pre-licensure program had a 75% NCLEX pass rate in 2021 and the BA/BS to BSN program had a 100% rating the same year. 

In addition, its online RN to BSN program provides an individual nursing advisor for the nurses enrolled so they can have a guide to evaluate their educational and career options. 

Online classes: yes

Graduation rate: 46%

Programs offered:

  • BA/BS to BSN
  • RN to BSN
  • Entry-Level/Pre-Licensure Program
SchoolGraduation RateIn State Annual TuitionOut of State Annual TuitionNCLEX Pass RatesAccreditationNursing ProgramsScoreRank
West Virginia University60.00%$9,384.00$26,568.00100%YesBSN, BS/BA to BSN, RN to BSN, MSN, Post-MSN, DNP, PhD742
Marshall University50.00%$8,604$19,658.00100%YesBSN, BS/BA to BSN, RN to BSN, MSN, Post-MSN, DNP742
Shepherd University49.00%$8,282$18,722.0089%YesBSN, RN to BSN, DNP, Post Graduate Certificate Program643
Fairmont State University42.00%$8,210$17,840.0088%YesASN Program, BSN445
West Liberty University46.00%$8,716$17,100.0088%YesBA/BS to BSN, RN to BSN, Entry-Level/Pre-Licensure Program445

How to choose the right nursing program

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment for registered nurses is projected to grow 9% by 2030. This means that it is necessary to be strategic when choosing a nursing program, to take advantage of this opportunity. Read our tips for help.

Location

Most cities in West Virginia are considered fairly small – even Charleston, the capital. Choose a college in the Mountain State to enjoy a tight-knit community and a positive lifestyle.

Tuition

Choosing a nursing program based on its tuition is reasonable, especially if you’re not from West Virginia, which can raise the cost. Also, check if the school offers work-study opportunities, student loans and scholarships.

NCLEX pass rate

It’s recommended to choose schools with at least a 90% NCLEX pass rate. For this purpose, schools usually offer an intensive course to prepare undergraduates for the exam, which helps them succeed on the first try.

Programs offered

There are various nursing career pathways, so if a school doesn’t have the program you’re looking for, it is worth continuing the search. The programs are generally competitive, so it is important to avoid starting a degree and not finishing it.

Graduation rate

A 90% graduation rate is a good indicator, in general. But it’s important to check if its curriculum is also of a high level, in addition to factors such as employment rates and the coursework itself.

Next steps

After analyzing each of the factors, such as location, tuition and school ratings, it is advisable to look at employment projections for the state.

To get your first job, you’ll need to start the licensure and certification processes. We help you with a guide to the nursing requirements in West Virginia. Read it tomake the process easier for yourself.

Many employers also have education requirements, as do states. Sign up on Incredible Health and access free West Virginia CEU courses to meet these criteria.

If you have specific questions, ask them directly to experienced nurses.

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Methodology

In order to determine the best nursing schools in a state, Incredible Health compared the top schools among five categories: graduation rate, tuition, NCLEX pass rate, accreditation, and the number of nursing programs offered.

Each metric was scored on a 100-point scale with 100 representing the highest total for that category. Then we compiled the individual scores to get an overall score.

We used data from: 

  • West Virginia University
  • Marshall University
  • Shepherd University
  • Fairmont State University
  • West Liberty University
  • West Virginia Board of Nursing
  • U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard
  • American Association of Colleges of Nursing
  • Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
  • U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges Rankings 
Sources
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook – Registered Nurses. bls.gov. Accessed August 30, 2022.
  • “West Virginia Center for Nursing releases 2021 data as part of efforts to strengthen state’s nursing workforce”. wvhepc.edu. Accessed August 30, 2022.
Written by Incredible Health Staff

At Incredible Health, it's a team effort to achieve our vision: Help healthcare professionals live better lives. Many are licensed practitioners themselves; others are simply passionate writers and leaders dedicated to providing valuable resources to nurses.

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