School Overview

West Virginia University, founded in 1867, is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, is one of only 46 public universities that serve their state as research and land-grant institutions. Through 15 colleges and schools, WVU offers 193 bachelors, master's, doctoral and professional degree programs. WVU is a Doctoral/ Research University - Extensive as classified by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education -- based on the complexity and breadth of the institution's mission. As West Virginia's major research and development center and only comprehensive doctoral-granting institution, WVU faculty conducts over $150 million in sponsored contracts and grants per year. The WVU System spans the state, including 518 buildings on 15,880 acres (main campus 430 buildings/1,456 acres). Eleven main campus buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, and WVU operates eight experimental farms and four forests throughout the state. The University's total operating budget is approximately $900 million. WVU's student body is comprised of over 31,524 students with 28,776 on the Morgantown campus. These students hail from all West Virginia counties, nearly all 50 states, and close to 100 foreign nations. Chartered in 1873, the WVU Alumni Association is made up of more than 190,000 graduates worldwide in some 135 nations.