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University or college · Private nonprofit

Bluefield University

Bluefield, VA388 online only

Bluefield University is a private nonprofit university in Bluefield, VA, with about 601 students on campus.

Visit www.bluefield.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
601
plus 388 studying only online
Admission rate
59%
lower than at 77% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$25,573
higher than at 73% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
18%
lower than at 95% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$48,896
higher than at 69% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about Bluefield University

Little price break for lower-income families

Families earning under $30,000 pay about $25,807 a year after grants, about the same as the $25,430 paid by families over $110,000. What it costs ↓

A lower graduation rate than at most 4-year colleges

Only 18% of students graduate within six years, fewer than at 95% of 4-year colleges. 61% of first-year students come back for a second year. Outcomes ↓

Rent in Bluefield is below the state median

Median rent in Bluefield is $870 a month, 45% below the state median. Living in Bluefield ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $42,539 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $26,770Room & board $9,480Books & supplies $440Other costs $5,849

After grants, the average family on aid pays $25,573.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$25,732

About $102,928 over 4 years · 40% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Bluefield University?

59%

of applicants admitted

About 12 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Bluefield University is likely test-optional.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
18%
within 6 years · Pell students 17%
Come back for year two
61%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$48,896
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$21,855
about $232 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

6.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$232 a month against about $3,494 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

50%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 60% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$41k
Middle income$30–75k
$54k
Higher incomeover $75k
$55k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 22%Public safety 16%Liberal arts 9%Public administration & social work 9%Education 8%Health professions 6%Everything else 30%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Business Administration, Management and Operations30 graduates a year · typical debt $21,656
$64k4 yrs out
Human Services, General20 graduates a year · typical debt $20,834
$44k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness19 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$42k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections15 graduates a year · typical debt $23,500
$57k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing14 graduates a year · typical debt $16,146
$91k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods13 graduates a year
—not reported
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management6 graduates a year
—not reported
Biology, General5 graduates a year
—not reported
Who goes there

The students

614 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 58%Hispanic 5%Black 23%Asian 1%International 2%

Women and men

Women 44%Men 56%
14 : 1
students per teacher
51%
get Pell grants (lower income)
71%
take federal loans
15%
undergrads 25 or older
10%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Bluefield

9% of Bluefield’s 4,839 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Bluefield pages.

Bluefield →
BluefieldBluefield, VA
$870/momedian rent · 45% below the state$142Ktypical home valueDSafety Grade23° / 81°January low / July high · 40" of snowC−Health GradeAll colleges in and near BluefieldCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Bluefield University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Bluefield State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Bluefield
1.5 mi920 students
Concord UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Athens
18.1 mi1,244 students
Wytheville Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Wytheville
22.1 mi1,541 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.