BUCKHANNON, West Virginia – Building on a 134-year mission of academic excellence, service to others and equipping leaders, West Virginia Wesleyan College continues to rack up accolades in the prestigious college rankings programs. The College received the top 10 for Best Value in the South in U.S. News and World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges and is one of the Best Regional Colleges by The Princeton Review.

Under the U.S. News and World Report’s rankings, the College was ranked ninth for Best Value amongst Regional Colleges in the South, and 30th overall in the same area.  West Virginia Wesleyan College was the only West Virginia higher education institution to earn a Best Value Ranking.

West Virginia Wesleyan is also listed as one of the Top Performers on Social Mobility which measures how well schools graduated students who received federal Pell Grants. 

 Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing John Waltz ‘01 said, “We’ve experienced two consecutive years of overall growth, over 10% in that time.  With West Virginia freshman enrollment up 20% and a 40% growth in graduate enrollment, it is clear that students and families value a Wesleyan education and recognize it as the premiere education in our region.  West Virginia Wesleyan continues to provide critical solutions to market needs.”

In determining Best Value Schools, U.S. News & World Report considered academic quality and cost after accounting for total expenses and financial aid. 

More than 95 percent of WVWC students receive financial aid in the form of scholarships. WVWC awards academic scholarships up to $18,000 per year, which can be combined with co-curricular scholarships (athletics, creative arts, community service), the West Virginia PROMISE Scholarship, and all outside scholarships obtained by incoming students.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings follow the College’s listing in the ‘Best in the Mid-Atlantic’ section of The Princeton Review’s “2025 Best Colleges: Region by Region” publication in August.

College Raptor, a leading college planning platform, also selected West Virginia Wesleyan College as one of its Hidden Gem Colleges in the Southeast, based on graduation rates, retention, student-to-faculty ratio, endowment per student and other metrics via the National Center for Education Statistics.

West Virginia Wesleyan College will host Fall Open Houses Oct. 26 and Nov. 16, giving prospective students the opportunity to discover how they can find their place at their Home Among the Hills. For more information, visit www.wvwc.edu.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA WESLEYAN COLLEGE
West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC) is a private, four-year residential liberal arts and sciences college in Buckhannon, West Virginia. A tradition of excellence for more than 130 years, West Virginia Wesleyan is home to 14 Fulbright Scholars. The Princeton Review ranked Wesleyan as one of its 2025 Best Colleges in the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best College Rankings designated Wesleyan ninth in Best Value – Regional Universities (South). WVWC offers students nearly 60 majors and 40 minors; graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, creative writing, nursing and clinical mental health counseling; 20 NCAA Division II athletic programs; multiple performing arts groups; and more than 50 organizations. Founded in 1890, the College is closely affiliated with the United Methodist Church and abides by the Wesley doctrine that emphasizes service to others. For more information, visit wvwc.edu.