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WVU is the state’s flagship land-grant research institution, advancing education, innovation, and service across West Virginia through campuses in Morgantown, Beckley, and Keyser.
Overall WVU Report FindingsWith a statewide network of Extension offices and research centers, WVU cultivates knowledge, discovery, and solutions to the state’s most pressing needs. The University drives economic prosperity and social mobility by preparing students for leadership; advancing research in energy, healthcare, business, agriculture, and the arts; and strengthening communities throughout the Mountain State and beyond.
115,958 working WVU alumni in West Virginia have contributed
$8.1 billion to the state’s economy.
Note: These benefits are in addition to the $3.1 billion annual impact
generated by WVU statewide.
WVU is the state’s most consequential economic asset, translating education, research, healthcare, and outreach into high-income jobs, innovation, and a stronger tax base across all 55 counties. As the state’s flagship land-grant institution, WVU attracts talent from around the world and equips students with the skills and credentials employers demand, strengthening the workforce and fueling opportunity in every region of the Mountain State.
WVU’s faculty and researchers turn discovery into real-world impact—developing new therapies, safer workplaces, cleaner energy solutions, and advanced digital technologies that drive commercialization, startup creation, and sustained regional growth. Through its statewide Extension network, WVU applies this same spirit of innovation to community problem-solving, helping local governments, farmers, and business leaders modernize industries, revitalize Main Streets, and plan for broadband, housing, and infrastructure improvements.
With its main campus in Morgantown, additional campuses in Beckley and Keyser, and Health Sciences campuses in Charleston and Martinsburg, WVU ensures that the benefits of higher education, research, and healthcare extend beyond urban centers to rural communities. The university’s academic, research, and outreach programs expand opportunity, elevate health and quality of life, and prepare graduates to lead in West Virginia and beyond.
WVU also plays a vital cultural and civic role. Athletics, arts, and public events draw visitors, strengthen local economies, and build statewide pride. Its alumni network—composed of educators, engineers, entrepreneurs, and public servants—serves as a powerful force for innovation and leadership, creating companies, mentoring students, and shaping communities.
In FY24, WVU generated $4.8 billion in total economic impact nationally, with $3.1 billion of that impact retained within West Virginia. The university’s direct spending—including operations, salaries, capital investments, and research funding—totaled $933.4 million, while indirect and induced effects contributed another $2.2 billion, reflecting the powerful multiplier effect of WVU’s presence as employees, students, and partners reinvest in the state’s economy.
WVU drives growth across education, research, technology, and related industries. For every $1 in state funding, it generates more than $9 in statewide impact, affirming its role as a catalyst for West Virginia’s prosperity and innovation.
In FY24, WVU directly and indirectly supported 30,656 jobs nationwide, including 28,295 jobs across West Virginia, making it one of the state’s most significant employment engines. WVU directly employed 16,193 faculty, researchers, staff, and students, with thousands more jobs supported through indirect and induced employment in sectors such as education, research, construction, retail, and hospitality.
In total, one in every 28 jobs in West Virginia exists either directly because of WVU or is supported through the economic ripple effects of its presence. The university’s operational, capital, and payroll expenditures—combined with spending by its faculty, staff, and students—sustain employment opportunities statewide and reinforce WVU’s role as a critical driver of workforce stability and economic vitality across nearly every sector of the state’s economy.
WVU is a significant source of state and local tax revenue, supporting public services, infrastructure, and community development across West Virginia. In FY24, WVU generated $203.5 million in tax revenue through direct payments—including payroll, property, and business taxes—as well as indirect and induced revenues from university-related and household spending.
This fiscal impact highlights WVU’s essential role in sustaining the state’s economic stability. With a $340.9 million state investment in FY24, WVU returned 60 cents in state and local tax revenue for every $1 invested — delivering a strong, ongoing return to taxpayers through education, jobs, and growth.