West Virginia's only community college offering bachelor's degrees, serving seven counties with affordable, accessible education.
WVU Parkersburg is uniquely positioned as West Virginia's only community college authorized to grant bachelor's degrees. The institution offers Bachelor of Applied Technology, Bachelor of Applied Science, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts, and Regents Bachelor of Arts degrees, alongside traditional associate degree and certificate programs. Academic divisions include Arts and Sciences, Nursing and Health Sciences, Professional Studies, and Workforce/Technical/Computer Information Science. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, with specific program accreditations from ACEN (nursing) and NCATE (teacher education).
The main campus is located on the outskirts of Parkersburg and features a library, administrative building, College Activities Center, Caperton Center for Applied Technology (opened 1999), and recently completed facilities including an Applied Technology Lab and Early Childhood Learning Center. WVU Parkersburg is a commuter school with no on-campus housing. The institution also operates the Jackson County Center in Ripley and a Downtown Center on Market Street in Parkersburg serving the Culinary Academy. Student life includes sport club teams (men's and women's basketball, volleyball, soccer, golf, table tennis) competing as the Riverhawks.
WVU Parkersburg uses FAFSA (school code 003828) for financial aid applications. The college maintains basic eligibility requirements including a 2.0 GPA, completion of at least 67% of attempted hours, and program completion within 150% of standard length. Financial aid is available through federal grants, loans, and institutional scholarships. The institution emphasizes affordability and accessibility, with 65% of students receiving financial aid and 60% graduating debt-free.
Originally founded as the Parkersburg Branch of West Virginia University in 1961, the institution underwent several name changes before becoming West Virginia University at Parkersburg in 1989. In 2008, governance was transferred to the West Virginia Community and Technical College System, making it an independently accredited institution while maintaining an affiliated relationship with WVU. The college is governed by a local Board of Governors and serves seven counties: Jackson, Pleasants, Ritchie, Roane, Tyler, Wirt, and Wood.