West Virginia: school, college and career rules
West Virginia requires 23 credits from the 2024-25 freshman cohort (22 before), with personal finance and a four-credit Personalized Education Plan, tests with the WVGSA and the SAT School Day, gives WVU resident tuition after 12 months' presence for non-educational purposes, and funds the PROMISE Scholarship, the Higher Education Grant and WV Invests.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
West Virginia Board of Education Policy 2510: 22 credits (12 prescribed, 10 personalized); from the 2024-25 freshman cohort, 23 credits (13 prescribed, 10 personalized) with the added Personal Finance credit. County boards may add requirements. wvde.us returns 403 to India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-10-09 (20251009083112).WVDE
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English language arts | 4 credits: English 9, 10 and 11 plus 1 personalized credit |
| Mathematics | 4 credits: Algebra I and Geometry (or Math I and II) plus 2 personalized credits |
| Science | 3 credits: Earth and Space Science and Biology plus 1 personalized credit |
| Social studies | 4 credits: World Studies, U.S. Studies and Civics (or AP equivalents) plus 1 personalized credit |
| Physical education | 1 credit |
| Health | 1 credit |
| The arts | 1 credit |
| Personal finance | 1 credit, taken in junior or senior year (from the 2024-25 freshman cohort) |
| Personalized Education Plan (PEP) | 4 credits in a CTE program of study or in course work leading to college, an industry credential, workforce training or a job |
23 credits from the 2024-25 freshman cohort (22 for earlier cohorts).
State tests for the diploma
No exit exam. Under House Bill 2411 (2025), students in the 2027-28 freshman cohort and later must also earn 1 full credit of computer science in grades 8 to 12. wvde.us returns 403 to India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-10-09 (20251009083112).WVDE
Also good to know
- AP, dual credit and IB courses can replace a required or personalized credit in the same subject; schools must offer courses such as Algebra II, chemistry, physics, economics and driver education.
WVDE
High School Policy 2510 Best Practices (September 2025)West Virginia Department of Education- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
wvde.us returns 403 to India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-10-09 (20251009083112).
View source
State test: WVGSA and the SAT School Day
West Virginia General Summative Assessment (WVGSA) and the SAT School Day. The WVDE Office of Assessment runs the statewide comprehensive assessment program: the WVGSA for grades 3 to 8, the SAT School Day in high school, and the West Virginia Alternate Summative Assessment (WVASA) for grades 3 to 8 and 11. wvde.us returns 403 to India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-03-12 (20250312212038), the latest available.WVDE
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| WVGSA | Statewide general summative assessment | Grades 3–8 |
| SAT School Day | College Board SAT given during the school day | High school |
| WVASA | Alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities | Grades 3–8 and 11 |
Source: wvde.us returns 403 to India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-03-12 (20250312212038), the latest available.WVDE
What the scores are used for
- College for West Virginia offers free ACT and SAT test prep alongside state financial aid applications.
WVHEPC
Welcome to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (home page)West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (four-year public system)University system · West Virginia's four-year public higher education system has 12 campuses, overseen by a 10-member commission; West Virginia University is its R1 research university.
- Community and Technical College System of West Virginia (CTCS)Community colleges · The state's public community and technical colleges, where more than 20,000 students a year pursue a certificate, associate or bachelor's degree, with industry training partnerships and apprenticeships.
Sources: WVHEPC
View sourceWVCTCS
View source
Every school in West Virginia, public and private, with cost and completion: 65 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 5 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- WVU Board of Governors Rule 2.4: residency is a question of domicile, and the burden is on the student, shown by positive and unequivocal action.
WVU
BOG Academics Rule 2.4, Residency Status for Admission, Tuition, and Fee PurposesWest Virginia University Board of Governors- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Domicile is established when the student, spouse or (for a dependent) parent or guardian has kept a continuous presence in West Virginia for at least 12 months before classes start, for a primary purpose other than enrolling at the university.
WVU
BOG Academics Rule 2.4, Residency Status for Admission, Tuition, and Fee PurposesWest Virginia University Board of Governors- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Domicile is also established for people who entered federal service from West Virginia without claiming another state, or who are assigned to full-time federal service in West Virginia and live there.
WVU
BOG Academics Rule 2.4, Residency Status for Admission, Tuition, and Fee PurposesWest Virginia University Board of Governors- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (College for West Virginia). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
PROMISE Scholarship
Merit scholarship paying $5,500 a year or the cost of tuition and mandatory fees, whichever is less, at any eligible West Virginia institution; seniors apply on CFWV.com. CFWV
View source
West Virginia Higher Education Grant
Need-based state grant to help West Virginia students pursue postsecondary education. CFWV
View source
WV Invests Grant
Covers tuition at any state community and technical college for a certificate or associate degree in a high-demand field. CFWV
View source
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a West Virginia license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | West Virginia board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | West Virginia Board of Law Examiners | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 80). Moving to the NextGen UBE; NCBE’s page gives two different first dates, so check with the board. NCBEWest Virginia: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | West Virginia Board of Medicine West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.); West Virginia has more than one board, as listed FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | West Virginia Board of Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact West Virginia Board of Registered NursesNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
West Virginia state jobs (governmentjobs.com)
West Virginia Division of Personnel
- All jobs open for application are listed at governmentjobs.com/careers/wv; apply online from each job's page, or fill in a Job Interest Card for alerts.
- The Division of Personnel applies merit principles; a resume is accepted in place of an application, and most positions do not require West Virginia residency.
Source: Read from the Internet Archive capture of 2026-03-18 (20260318222422); personnel.wv.gov job seeker pages return 'Page not found' from India.WV DOP
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
West Virginia has no State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers programs here. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- West Virginia Apprenticeship Office (U.S. Department of Labor)West Virginia has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's West Virginia Apprenticeship Office registers and oversees programs.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: Apprenticeship.gov
View source
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- West Virginia: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- High School Policy 2510 Best Practices (September 2025) · West Virginia Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Assessment (Office of Assessment) · West Virginia Department of Education checked 2026-10-22
- Welcome to the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (home page) · West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission checked 2026-10-22
- About WVU · West Virginia University checked 2026-10-22
- Community and Technical College System of West Virginia (home page) · Community and Technical College System of West Virginia checked 2026-10-22
- BOG Academics Rule 2.4, Residency Status for Admission, Tuition, and Fee Purposes · West Virginia University Board of Governors checked 2026-10-22
- College for West Virginia: Free College & Financial Aid Resources (state financial aid programs) · West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and Community and Technical College System (College for West Virginia) checked 2026-10-22
- Employment FAQ · West Virginia Division of Personnel checked 2026-10-22
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21
- The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21