HEAD-TO-HEAD · 30-YEAR ROI

West Virginia University vs Marshall University

West Virginia University clears +$1.76M in 30-year net value, Marshall University +$626K — both pay off, West Virginia University by +$1.13M.

Two WV public flagships, priced the way an in-state student actually pays. Same state, same residency — so the only thing moving the number is the school.

IPEDS 2023 tuition · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · resident (in-state) pricing · same model as /worth-it · both schools NPV-positive.

West Virginia University · Morgantown, WV

clears more

30-year net value
+$1.76M
Total cost of attendance
$94,096
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$57,546
Breaks even by age
39

Marshall University · Huntington, WV

30-year net value
+$626K
Total cost of attendance
$87,176
Median earnings · 10 yrs out
$44,956
Breaks even by age
—
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

Each school runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the same loan assumptions, the same 30-year horizon, and each state’s own cost-of-living. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of the degree over that horizon, in real dollars — the same figure the calculator headlines.

We only publish pairs where both schools clear positive net value, so the comparison is “both pay off, one clears more,” never “this school is a bad bet.” Earnings are rolled up from at least three FREOPP programs per school (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t distort the number.

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “West Virginia University vs Marshall University: 30-year ROI head-to-head.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/compare/west-virginia-vs-marshall

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Questions

Is West Virginia University or Marshall University a better return on investment?
On a 30-year net-value basis at resident (in-state) pricing, West Virginia University clears +$1.76M and Marshall University +$626K — both are solidly positive, so neither is a bad bet; West Virginia University comes out ahead by +$1.13M. Figures from IPEDS 2023 tuition, FREOPP 2021 earnings, and BEA 2023 cost-of-living, run through the same model as the LE TEEN calculator.
How much more does West Virginia University pay off than Marshall University?
About +$1.13M over a 30-year horizon (+$1.76M vs +$626K in projected net value). That gap reflects each school's net price and its graduates' median earnings — not a judgment that either degree fails to pay off, since both clear positive.
What is the 30-year net value of a degree from West Virginia University?
+$1.76M at resident (in-state) pricing — total cost of attendance $94,096, median earnings ten years out $57,546, breaking even around age 39. Run your own assumptions on the /worth-it calculator.