Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in West Virginia

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in West Virginia

Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

7 Schools Ranked
$13,145 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$17,861 Avg Student Debt*

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools and bootcamps with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in West Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 7 schools in West Virginia to see which ones offered the best value graduate certificate programs for students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top Value Graduate Certificate Schools in West Virginia

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

American Public University System

Charles Town, West Virginia
404 Total Awards
$7,050 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found American Public University System to be the best value school for students who want to pursue a graduate certificate in West Virginia. Located in Charles Town, West Virginia, the large private for-profit school awarded 404 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at American Military University are $7,050 a year.

If you are interested in distance education, American Military University is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, American Military University is ranked #1 for overall quality in West Virginia.

Read full report on American Public University System

#2

Wheeling University

Wheeling, West Virginia
2 Total Awards
$10,160 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 7 schools in West Virginia that were part of this year’s value ranking, Wheeling University landed the # 2 spot on the list. This very small private not-for-profit school is located in Wheeling, West Virginia, and it awarded 2 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Wheeling University are $10,160 a year.

Wheeling University is one of the schools on our list that is primarily online. Each graduate student at the school took at least one class online.

Wheeling University not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #2 on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in West Virginia list.

Read full report on Wheeling University

#3

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia
3 Total Awards
$12,906 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent graduate certificate programs at Shepherd University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in West Virginia. Shepherdstown, West Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out graduate certificates to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Shepherd University are $12,906 per year.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Shepherd University. In fact, around 82% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Shepherd University did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in West Virginia list.

Read full report on Shepherd University

#4

Fairmont State University

Fairmont, West Virginia
7 Total Awards
$17,150 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Fairmont State University is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Fairmont, West Virginia, the small public school handed out 7 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Fairmont State are $17,150 per year.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Fairmont State. In 2019-2020 about 87% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Fairmont State not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in West Virginia list.

Full Fairmont State University Report

#5

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia
139 Total Awards
$21,434 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 7 schools in West Virginia that were part of this year’s value ranking, Marshall University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Marshall University is a public institution located in Huntington, West Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 139 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Marshall University graduate students pay an average of $21,434 in tuition and fees each year.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Marshall University does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 83% took at least some of their classes online.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Marshall University is ranked #5 for overall quality in West Virginia.

Read full report on Marshall University

#6

Concord University

Athens, West Virginia
3 Total Awards
$9,450 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Concord University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Concord University is a small public school located in Athens, West Virginia that handed out 3 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Concord University are $9,450 per year.

Online graduate courses are available at Concord University, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 88% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#7

Salem University

Salem, West Virginia
29 Total Awards
$13,864 Average Tuition & Fees

Salem University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. This very small private for-profit school is located in Salem, West Virginia, and it awarded 29 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Salem are $13,864 a year. Graduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,861 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

If you are interested in distance education, Salem is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.

Full Salem University Report

View Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 7 schools only.

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.