Bluefield State University
Public College in Bluefield, WV. Six-year graduation rate 34%. Median 10-year earnings $38,217.
Median earnings ten years after entry come to $38,217, below what most undergraduate institutions return — the central fact to weigh against cost here. Only 34% finish within six years, so roughly two in three students leave without the credential they enrolled for. Graduates carry a median of $18,250 in debt — in line with the national norm.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
- ! Graduation rate 34% — below national average
Admissions
Bluefield State University admits 97% of applicants — effectively open admission, so the application is a formality rather than a hurdle. Only 687 students applied, so treat these rates as directional — small pools swing sharply between cycles. Yield sits at 33% — the remainder of admitted students enroll elsewhere or not at all. The score bands below cover the middle 50% of the enrolled students who submitted a score — not the whole class, and not a cutoff.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | 440–540 | 99 (50%) |
| SAT Math | 430–540 | |
| ACT Composite | 17–22 | 22 (11%) |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at Bluefield State University →Academics
Only 34% finish within six years, so roughly two in three students leave without the credential. Just 55% of first-years come back — most of the completion gap opens in year one. The two rates sit near each other: few students who return for a second year are missing from the six-year completion figure. 35% of students transfer out, which reframes what the graduation rate above is measuring. Part-time students fare worse, returning at 45% — relevant if you plan to work while enrolled.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 1,240 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Net price lands at $15,814 a year on average, neither cheap nor punishing. The gap between the $0–30k and $110k+ bands is narrow ($11,810 versus $16,242), meaning aid is not strongly need-weighted. Grant aid reaches 76% of students at an average of $10,063. Borrowing is widespread: 55% take federal loans.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 205 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,810 |
| $30–48k | $10,703 |
| $48–75k | $14,630 |
| $75–110k | $17,058 |
| $110k+ | $16,242 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 687 of these 1,240 students, totalling $5,218,074 — an average of $7,595 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Mercer County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)