About Wesleyan

Founded in 1890, West Virginia Wesleyan is a private residential college that is affiliated with The United Methodist Church.  The College has 1,400 students and offers 43 majors and 36 minors along with graduate programs in athletic training, business administration, education, English writing, and nursing.  The College’s General Studies program is grounded in the liberal arts, while all students are encouraged to pursue international travel, internships, and research opportunities.

Wesleyan's student life program features 19 NCAA Division II athletic teams, regionally-renowned performing arts programs, community engagement, including scholarships and service and leadership programs, over 70 campus organizations, outdoor recreation and intramurals programs, nine fraternities and sororities, and religious life.

Why do students choose West Virginia Wesleyan?

  • Wesleyan is one of 115 colleges and universities to be named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction;

  • Wesleyan ranks among the top four schools in West Virginia in its graduation rate,  freshman to sophomore retention rate, entering student academic profile, and alumni giving rate;

  • Seven Wesleyan students have been named US Department of State Fulbright Award winners in the past four years;

  • Wesleyan is the only small college in West Virginia to have students win Fulbright and Gilman International Scholarships;

  • Wesleyan ranks among the state leaders in science research funding from WV-EPSCoR for the past four years;

  • Wesleyan has the highest percentage of students living on campus in the state;

  • Wesleyan ranks fifth among NCAA II schools in the number of academic acheivement award winners;

  • Wesleyan has won the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Commissioner’ s Cup 17 of the last 19 years, and has won the Presidents’ Cup nine times since 1994;

  • Wesleyan is one of two colleges and universities in the state to be listed in Access and Opportunity Guide, a publication that recognizes institutions for their work with first-generation and minority students;

  • Wesleyan has been included in The Princeton Review’s Best Colleges in the Southeast and/or Best-Value Colleges for the past nine years;

  • Wesleyan is one of three West Virginia colleges and universities to be included in Colleges of Distinction;

  • Wesleyan consistently has more students enrolled in West Virginia medical schools than any small college in the state;

  • Wesleyan enjoys a near 100 percent placement rate in graduate and professional schools;

  • Wesleyan's Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) has finished among the top 40 schools in the nation the past two years. The SIFE team has won eight regional titles in eleven years;

  • 88% of Wesleyan students reported being satisfied with their college experience and 79 percent of all seniors have reported they would choose West Virginia Wesleyan again as their college—National Student Engagement Survey Data (NSSE)-2008;

  • Wesleyan scored higher than all NSSE participating institutions and outperformed eastern private four-year colleges and universities and our master’s Carnegie peers in the following categories:  working with students on projects in class, working on projects outside of class to prepare for a class assignment, using an electronic medium to discuss an assignment, and completing independent study;

  • 88% of Wesleyan students believe the College places substantial emphasis on academics, well above the national average (NSSE);

  • Wesleyan has more West Virginia PROMISE Scholars enrolled than any private college or university in the state;

  • Wesleyan has the largest athletic program in the state;

  • Wesleyan has one of the highest percentages of students actively involved in performing arts in the state;

  • Over 80 percent of Wesleyan students participate in community service activities;

  • Wesleyan students spend more than five hours per week in co-curricular activities which is significantly higher than all NSSE participating institutions, eastern four-year private colleges, and our master’s Carnegie peers;

  • 76 percent of Wesleyan students rated their relationships with administrative personnel and offices as excellent compared to 54 percent nationally (2008 NSSE );

  • Wesleyan has one of the most beautiful campuses in the region and has seen recent expansion with the addition of the Virginia Thomas Law Center for Performing Arts and the David E. Reemsnyder Research Center.