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Bluefield State University

Bluefield State University is based in the town of Bluefield, WV — a public campus in a small-town setting. It is one of the nation's historically Black colleges and universities — a federally recognized designation.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$10,971

family income
under $30k

$11,213

$30–48k

$11,772

$48–75k

$16,204

$75–110k

$15,428

over $110k

These figures don't always rise with income — aid formulas can make a higher bracket cheaper.

Average net price

$13,6842023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Bluefield State University rose from $10,724 (2008) to $13,684 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$10,724
2009	$11,071
2010	$10,984
2011	$11,297
2012	$8,843
2013	$8,908
2014	$8,348
2015	$8,410
2016	$9,065
2017	$9,358
2018	$8,367
2019	$10,961
2020	$11,143
2021	$10,717
2022	$12,529
2023	$13,684

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$21,8392024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Bluefield State University rose from $13,772 (2009) to $21,839 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$13,772
2010	$14,043
2011	$14,830
2012	$15,225
2013	$14,940
2014	$14,965
2015	$14,967
2016	$15,425
2017	$15,638
2018	$16,573
2019	$15,791
2020	$18,685
2021	$17,506
2022	$18,445
2023	$20,747
2024	$21,839

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition (in-state vs out-of-state)

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition — data
Year	In-state	Out-of-state
2000	$2,288	$5,554
2001	$2,288	$5,766
2002	$2,598	$6,296
2003	$2,806	$6,894
2004	$3,114	$6,894
2005	$3,410	$7,014
2006	$3,648	$7,760
2007	$3,984	$8,160
2008	$4,272	$8,568
2013	$5,564	$10,536
2014	$5,832	$11,064
2015	$6,120	$11,280
2016	$6,408	$12,876
2017	$6,728	$13,032
2018	$7,056	$13,536
2019	$7,488	$14,352
2020	$7,680	$14,544
2021	$8,784	$15,982
2022	$9,840	$17,030
2023	$10,240	$17,560

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Bluefield State University reports tuition of $10,648 for in-state students and $18,376 for out-of-state students. Check Bluefield State University’s residency rules, attendance budget and aid offer. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Enrollment sits at 1,042 — Bluefield State University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.

37% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Bluefield State University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

37%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Bluefield State University rose from 17.1% (entered 1991) to 37% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	17.1%
1992 cohort	29.1%
1993 cohort	27.7%
1994 cohort	19.4%
1995 cohort	24.5%
1996 cohort	26%
1997 cohort	21.5%
1998 cohort	22.5%
1999 cohort	37.8%
2000 cohort	33.4%
2001 cohort	27.4%
2002 cohort	6%
2003 cohort	22%
2004 cohort	24.6%
2005 cohort	28.5%
2006 cohort	27.7%
2007 cohort	23.6%
2008 cohort	33.7%
2009 cohort	22.7%
2010 cohort	25.3%
2011 cohort	20.7%
2012 cohort	26%
2013 cohort	30.5%
2014 cohort	31.8%
2015 cohort	32.3%
2016 cohort	35.2%
2017 cohort	34.6%
2018 cohort	37%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	$5,571	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$7,000	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$7,373	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$8,389	$2,625
Left school in fiscal years 2001 and 2002 (FY2001/02)	$7,713	$2,737
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$6,717	$3,155
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$9,910	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$9,910	$3,748
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$10,667	$4,833
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$10,667	$5,074
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$12,000	$5,500
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$13,000	$6,000
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$15,000	$7,425
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$18,000	$7,990
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$16,682	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$18,925	$8,270
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$19,000	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$19,000	$8,950
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$20,000	$9,419
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$20,650	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$20,500	$8,500
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$19,000	$9,159
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$18,250	$9,444

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$35,030

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$40,604

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$38,217

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Bluefield State University admitted 668 of 687 applicants in Fall 2024. The 97.2% rate describes that application pool.

97.2%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $10,240 in-state tuition · 2023–24 1,042 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 870–10801600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Bluefield State University received 687 applications and admitted 668 (97.2%), with 219 enrolling.

Bluefield State University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Bluefield State University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 440–540 and Math was 430–540 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 870–1080 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	440	490	540
SAT Math	430	485	540
ACT Composite	17	20	22

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

Acceptance rate

97.2%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	99.7%
Fall 2002	99.1%
Fall 2003	99.2%
Fall 2004	96.8%
Fall 2005	96.1%
Fall 2006	96.1%
Fall 2007	50.7%
Fall 2008	71.7%
Fall 2009	82.9%
Fall 2010	79.5%
Fall 2011	68.6%
Fall 2012	39.6%
Fall 2013	42.7%
Fall 2014	38.3%
Fall 2015	76.9%
Fall 2016	83.3%
Fall 2017	81.5%
Fall 2018	94.5%
Fall 2019	94.5%
Fall 2020	90%
Fall 2021	96.9%
Fall 2022	97.3%
Fall 2023	87.2%
Fall 2024	97.2%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

870–1080Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2004	830	1080
Fall 2005	830	990
Fall 2006	850	1020
Fall 2007	820	1040
Fall 2008	830	1040
Fall 2009	830	1060
Fall 2010	780	1030
Fall 2011	843	1080
Fall 2012	810	1010
Fall 2013	830	930
Fall 2014	810	1000
Fall 2015	890	1040
Fall 2016	870	1070
Fall 2017	960	1090
Fall 2018	920	1120
Fall 2019	780	980
Fall 2020	850	1070
Fall 2021	880	1110
Fall 2022	870	1080
Fall 2023	870	1080
Fall 2024	870	1080

IPEDS Fall 2004–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

17–22Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	16	21
Fall 2002	15	20
Fall 2004	16	21
Fall 2005	17	22
Fall 2006	16	22
Fall 2007	17	21
Fall 2008	16	21
Fall 2009	16	21
Fall 2010	16	21
Fall 2011	17	22
Fall 2012	17	21
Fall 2013	17	21
Fall 2014	17	22
Fall 2015	17	22
Fall 2016	17	22
Fall 2017	17	21
Fall 2018	17	21
Fall 2019	16	21
Fall 2020	17	22
Fall 2021	17	23
Fall 2022	17	22
Fall 2023	17	22
Fall 2024	17	22

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

1,042Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Bluefield State University fell from 2,641 (Fall 2002) to 1,042 (Fall 2024).

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	2,641
Fall 2003	3,091
Fall 2004	3,088
Fall 2005	1,642
Fall 2006	1,726
Fall 2007	1,691
Fall 2008	1,790
Fall 2009	1,868
Fall 2010	1,876
Fall 2011	1,804
Fall 2012	1,889
Fall 2013	1,708
Fall 2014	1,529
Fall 2015	1,459
Fall 2016	1,337
Fall 2017	1,363
Fall 2018	1,263
Fall 2019	1,228
Fall 2020	1,231
Fall 2021	1,334
Fall 2022	1,254
Fall 2023	1,231
Fall 2024	1,042

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

55%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Bluefield State University has wandered from Fall 2003 to Fall 2023 — up to 69% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 55%.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	60%
Fall 2004 cohort	58%
Fall 2005 cohort	64%
Fall 2006 cohort	60%
Fall 2007 cohort	58%
Fall 2008 cohort	61%
Fall 2009 cohort	61%
Fall 2010 cohort	56%
Fall 2011 cohort	53%
Fall 2012 cohort	60%
Fall 2013 cohort	60%
Fall 2014 cohort	58%
Fall 2015 cohort	69%
Fall 2016 cohort	65%
Fall 2017 cohort	63%
Fall 2018 cohort	56%
Fall 2019 cohort	60%
Fall 2020 cohort	61%
Fall 2021 cohort	58%
Fall 2022 cohort	55%
Fall 2023 cohort	55%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about Bluefield State University

44.4% of Bluefield State University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Bluefield State University as a primarily nonresidential campus — most of its 1,042 undergraduates live off campus, and 54.8% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Bluefield State University's SAT section-percentile sums are 870–1080 — their midpoint is near the WV four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Bluefield State University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Bluefield State University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Bluefield State University97.2%

West Virginia median93.3%

National median76.8%

Tuition (in-state)

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Bluefield State University$10,648

West Virginia median$10,376

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Bluefield State University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Bluefield State University$38,217

West Virginia median$44,409

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Bluefield State University, West Virginia and national reference values
Metric & basis	Bluefield State University	West Virginia median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	97.2%	93.3%	76.8%
Tuition (in-state)Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$10,648	$10,376	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$38,217	$44,409	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Bluefield State University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Bluefield State University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 5 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$82,760
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions	$67,441
Criminal Justice and Corrections	$42,085
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities	$40,711
Social Sciences, General	$40,355

These 5 fields listed for Bluefield State University measure earnings after completion. The $38,217 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 10 additional Bluefield State University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Bluefield State University report?

Bluefield State University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 870–1080 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Bluefield State University's acceptance rate?

97.2% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 668 admitted from 687 applicants.

How much does Bluefield State University cost?

In-state tuition is $10,648; out-of-state students pay $18,376. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.

What earnings data does Bluefield State University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $38,217. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in West Virginia

Concord University — 92.6% admitted
Davis & Elkins College — 94.3% admitted
Fairmont State University — 98.6% admitted
Marshall University — 95.7% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.