Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Bachelor's Degrees in West Virginia
14
Meet the Ranking Threshold
11
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$8,837
With a Fully Online Option
4
General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in West Virginia
General studies bachelor's degrees in West Virginia are mostly public regional universities, and the degree goes by several names. Eleven programs are ranked and 3 more, at West Liberty University, WVU Institute of Technology and the University of Charleston, appear in the table of other programs. Ten of the 11 are public. The exception is American Public University System, a for-profit online university whose Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies scores 72.8 and ranks 15th nationally on our list at $8,400 with a 57% graduation rate.
West Virginia University's Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies has the highest score in the state at this level, 75.1, 12th nationally, with a 65% graduation rate, the highest here, on 119 degrees at $9,648 in resident tuition and fees, and it's online. Marshall University's Regents Bachelor of Arts awarded 148 degrees, more than any other program on the list, and scores 65.5 on a 51% graduation rate at $8,942, also online. Shepherd University matches Marshall's 51% at $8,642 on campus, and after those the graduation rates drop to 44% at Fairmont State and below 40% everywhere else.
The cheapest programs finish the fewest students. Potomac State College of WVU charges $5,040, the lowest on the list, and graduates 31%, and WVU Parkersburg charges $5,248 and graduates 9%, the lowest rate here, on 63 degrees online. Bluefield State University charges $10,240, the highest on the list, and graduates 37%. Four of the 11 ranked programs are online: WVU, APUS, Marshall and WVU Parkersburg.
The 11 Best General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in West Virginia
The best general studies bachelor's degrees in West Virginia are ranked below by their national score, from the national bachelor's degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in West Virginia. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.
1
West Virginia University
Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies (B. MdS.)
West Virginia
75.1- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 65%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $9,648 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 119
About the Program
Three minors make up the heart of this degree, and two minors must be from CAHS, the College of Applied Human Sciences. Each minor is 15 hours, so the three carry equal weight and none of them acts as your main subject. The additional minor is the open one, which is where a subject from outside applied human sciences can enter your plan.
Applied human sciences is the field this degree points toward, so your plan of study is meant to serve a career aim in that field. The CAHS minors you can choose include Addiction Studies, Health Coaching and Human Services, along with Esports Management, Sport Coaching, Special Education and Secondary STEM Education. Because two of your minors come from that list, you could pair Addiction Studies with Human Services, for example.
Outside the 51-hour major sit 69 hours of university requirements, and the degree plan's requirements include 33 hours of general electives and a 2-credit first-year seminar. Those electives are room you can use, but not freely, because at least 60 of your credit hours must be 200 to 400 level coursework. So electives filled with introductory courses can leave you short of that floor.
Career planning is written into the major through a course on career exploration in applied human sciences, and the major also requires a capstone experience course. Each is 3 hours. Fall below a 2.0 GPA and you're placed on academic probation, with added requirements such as meetings with academic advisers and a retention specialist, study halls and tutoring. So the consequence of falling below 2.0 is closer supervision, and it's spelled out in advance.
2
American Public University System
Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
West Virginia
72.8- Private for-profit
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 57%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,400 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 71
About the Program
Two or more disciplines make up your focus in the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and you choose them from business and management, natural and social sciences, communication and media, and social services. The major is 39 semester hours and includes a required course, Applied Interdisciplinary Perspectives, while the degree closes with a separate 3-hour Senior Seminar in Interdisciplinary Studies as its final program requirement.
Electives take up 48 semester hours, and credits you earned toward a minor or certificate in an unrelated field can count toward them. That is a lot of room, and it suits the way the college describes the degree, as an online degree completion program where you build your own area of focus. If your earlier coursework wandered across subjects, the elective block is where it has a place to land.
Paying for the degree needs a plan, because the program does not qualify for federal student aid. Tuition is $360 per credit, $250 per credit at the preferred military rate, and $324 per credit with a Veteran Grant or Opportunity Grant. So check which rate applies to you before you budget, and work out where the money comes from if federal aid was part of your plan.
Courses start monthly, so you don't wait for a term to open, and they run online and vary from 8 to 16 weeks. Pair that with the transfer limit, up to 90 of the 120 credits, and the degree can be a short final stretch if you arrive with a lot behind you. Whatever you bring still has to fit the structure, which includes 30 semester hours of general education alongside the major.
3
Marshall University
Regents Bachelor of Arts (RBA)
West Virginia
65.5- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 51%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,942 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 148
About the Program
Without required major courses, the Regents Bachelor of Arts (RBA) leaves the course plan to you and an advisor. That plan has to reach 120 credit hours, including 36 general education hours and 30 upper-division hours. You can shape it around an area of emphasis such as Anthropology, Communication Studies, Creative Writing, Criminal Justice, Cyber Forensics, History, Military Science, Psychology or Studio Art, so the degree can still point at a subject.
College Equivalent Credits are how the RBA counts what you learned outside a classroom. Examples the catalog gives include military credits, standard awards for certain licenses, certifications and corporate training, CLEP and DSST exams, and portfolio petitions for credit, and they count inside the 120 credit hours. But the credit is added after you've completed a semester in the program with a 2.0 GPA or better at Marshall and overall, so plan on passing a term before it shows up.
The average age of RBA students is 35. You must be at least 3 years out of high school unless you hold an A.A., A.S. or A.A.S. degree, which lets you enter directly. The limits are firm. You can't pursue the RBA if you already hold a bachelor's degree, and a cap of 72 hours applies to community college credit.
Old failing grades don't have to follow you into the RBA. Failing grades from three or more years before admission may be forgiven and disregarded in the GPA required for graduation. Residency asks for 24 graded hours at any West Virginia public institution, with at least 12 earned at Marshall, and you can take WVROCKS courses, which run online as accelerated eight-week courses.
4
Shepherd University
West Virginia
61.1- Public
- College graduation rate
- 51%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,642 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 58
About the Program
Shepherd University is a public university in Shepherdstown, West Virginia that enrolls 3,339 students. Some 58 bachelor's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 62% of the programs ranked alongside it. A 51% graduation rate puts the college at the 53rd percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Expect tuition and fees of $8,642 a year as a resident and $19,082 otherwise. Admission is close to open, with 97% of applicants accepted. What lifts it most is price, where it reaches the 72nd percentile.
5
Fairmont State University
West Virginia
51.5- Public
- College graduation rate
- 44%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $8,454 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 38
About the Program
Fairmont State University is a public university in Fairmont, West Virginia that enrolls 3,305 students. It conferred 38 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 49% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. A 44% graduation rate puts the college at the 35th percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Expect tuition and fees of $8,454 a year as a resident and $18,372 otherwise. Admission is close to open, with 99% of applicants accepted. Its strongest mark is price, at the 78th percentile.
6
West Virginia University at Parkersburg
West Virginia
45.9- Public
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 9%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $5,248 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 63
About the Program
Based in Parkersburg, West Virginia, West Virginia University at Parkersburg is a public university with 2,728 students on its rolls. It conferred 63 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 66% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. Its college-wide graduation rate is 9%, the 1st percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Expect tuition and fees of $5,248 a year as a resident and $9,424 otherwise. The degree can be finished entirely online, which suits anyone who cannot move or stop working. Strongest of its measures is price, which lands at the 98th percentile.
7
Concord University
West Virginia
42.8- Public
- College graduation rate
- 39%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $9,700 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 69
About the Program
Concord University is a public university in Athens, West Virginia that enrolls 1,943 students. During the most recent year on record it awarded 69 bachelor's degrees, a count at the 68th percentile for size. A 39% graduation rate puts the college at the 23rd percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Residents pay $9,700 a year in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay $20,600. Getting in is not automatic, because 93% of applicants are admitted. What lifts it most is the number of degrees it awards, where it reaches the 68th percentile.
8
Potomac State College of West Virginia University
West Virginia
39.5- Public
- College graduation rate
- 31%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $5,040 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 18
About the Program
Potomac State College of West Virginia University is a public university in Keyser, West Virginia that enrolls 1,077 students. Some 18 bachelor's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 22% of the programs ranked alongside it. A 31% graduation rate puts the college at the 10th percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Tuition and fees are $5,040 a year for residents and $12,624 for students from out of state, which makes it cheaper than 99% of programs at this level. Strongest of its measures is price, which lands at the 99th percentile.
9
West Virginia State University
West Virginia
39.2- Public
- HBCU
- College graduation rate
- 39%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $9,499 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 37
About the Program
Some 3,246 students attend West Virginia State University, a historically Black public university in Institute, West Virginia. The program's last federal report shows 37 bachelor's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 48 in every 100 programs measured here. A 39% graduation rate puts the college at the 23rd percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Expect tuition and fees of $9,499 a year as a resident and $15,219 otherwise. Applicants face little risk of rejection, because 96% are admitted. Strongest of its measures is price, which lands at the 56th percentile.
10
Glenville State University
West Virginia
34.6- Public
- College graduation rate
- 34%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $9,412 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 30
About the Program
Glenville State University is a public university in Glenville, West Virginia that enrolls 1,765 students. It conferred 30 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 44% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. A 34% graduation rate puts the college at the 13th percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Tuition and fees run $9,412 a year in state against $11,140 out of state, so on price it sits at the 59th percentile. Strongest of its measures is price, which lands at the 59th percentile.
11
Bluefield State University
West Virginia
29.5- Public
- HBCU
- College graduation rate
- 37%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $10,240 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 24
About the Program
Based in Bluefield, West Virginia, Bluefield State University is a historically Black public university with 1,141 students on its rolls. It conferred 24 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 34% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. Of the students who start at Bluefield State University, 37% graduate, and that beats 18 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Tuition and fees run $10,240 a year in state against $17,560 out of state, so on price it sits at the 43rd percentile. Nearly everyone who applies gets in, since 97% of applicants are admitted. On price it does best, reaching the 43rd percentile.
Other General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in West Virginia
The other general studies bachelor's degrees in West Virginia awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.
| College | Degrees Awarded | Graduation Rate | Tuition and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Liberty University, West Liberty | 9 | 60% | $8,732 |
| West Virginia University Institute of Technology, Beckley | 9 | 33% | $8,064 |
| University of Charleston, Charleston | 6 | 46% | $21,610 |
Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.
How Much Does a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Cost in West Virginia?
A general studies bachelor's degree in West Virginia costs $8,837 a year in resident tuition and required fees at the median of the 14 programs, and 11 of the 14 fall between $8,064 and $10,240. The two cheapest are WVU's regional campuses, Potomac State College at $5,040 and WVU Parkersburg at $5,248. Then come WVU Institute of Technology $8,064, American Public University System $8,400, Fairmont State $8,454, Shepherd $8,642, West Liberty $8,732, Marshall $8,942, Glenville State $9,412, West Virginia State $9,499, WVU $9,648, Concord $9,700 and Bluefield State $10,240. The University of Charleston, private, is $21,610. Nonresidents pay $27,360 at WVU and $20,294 at Marshall, against $8,400 everywhere for APUS.
For an adult finishing a degree a few courses at a time, the state grant is HEAPS, the Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student grant, for students with financial need who continue their education part time. The rule defines part time as 3 to 11 semester hours and bases the award at an approved institution on the actual cost of tuition and fees. That makes it a natural match for the Regents Bachelor of Arts, which is built around exactly that kind of part-time, working-adult enrollment.
How Does Credit Transfer Into a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in West Virginia?
Credit transfers into a general studies bachelor's degree in West Virginia under two rules that work differently: a 35-credit general studies agreement that fills requirements, and a state code section that makes similar courses equivalent. The General Studies and Course Equivalency Transfer Agreement moves up to 35 credit hours of general studies coursework between West Virginia institutions, and under it the student receives credit for fulfilling general studies requirements rather than direct course equivalencies. Separately, section 18B-14-2 of state code requires courses that are 70 percent similar or the same to transfer as equivalent courses. Ask WVU, Marshall or Shepherd which rule each of your courses falls under.
For adults with credits from several places, the degree built to take them is the Regents Bachelor of Arts, which Marshall lists here. The RBA is designed for adult students with work and family commitments, with credit for life and work experience, compressed courses, and online and weekend classes. It marked 50 years in November 2025, and more than 3,200 RBA degrees were issued statewide in the five years before that. WVU's Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies is a different degree, so ask WVU how it counts transferred general studies hours against the fields you'd combine. APUS and the University of Charleston are private, so get their transfer terms in writing.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Pay in West Virginia?
Jobs open to a general studies bachelor's degree in West Virginia pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.
How to Choose a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Program in West Virginia
Choosing a general studies bachelor's degree program in West Virginia means noticing that the cheapest public programs and the weakest completion rates are the same programs. Potomac State and WVU Parkersburg cost $5,040 and $5,248 and graduate 31% and 9%. WVU costs $9,648 and graduates 65%. Shepherd is the program that breaks the pattern, with a 51% graduation rate at $8,642, and Marshall's 51% at $8,942 comes with online delivery and the Regents Bachelor of Arts, the statewide degree built for adults with work and family commitments, with credit for life and work experience.
Bring your transfer credit with the course list in hand, because state code requires courses that are 70 percent similar or the same to transfer as equivalent courses between West Virginia institutions, and that rule decides whether a course counts toward a specific requirement or only as elective hours. Ask the university how many transfer hours it caps, whether its general studies degree is the RBA or a separate degree, and how much life and work experience credit it will award if it is the RBA. At APUS, ask how its credits transfer to a West Virginia public university.
If you're starting with an associate degree, the general studies associate degrees in West Virginia have their own page.
Common Questions About General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in West Virginia
What Is the Cheapest General Studies Bachelor's Degree in West Virginia?
Which West Virginia General Studies Bachelor's Program Has the Highest Graduation Rate?
Can You Finish a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Online in West Virginia?
How Many Credits Does West Virginia's General Studies Transfer Agreement Move Into a Bachelor's Degree?
What Is West Virginia University's Bachelor of Multidisciplinary Studies?
Where Do the Figures on This West Virginia Page Come From?
- The General Studies and Course Equivalency Transfer Agreement
- Regents Bachelor of Arts Degree program marks 50 years of helping West Virginians achieve higher education goals
- Title 133 Legislative Rule, Series 6: Higher Education Adult Part-Time Student (HEAPS) Grant Program (effective March 29, 2024)
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, state estimates