Fairmont State University

What Fairmont State University does

Fairmont State University is a public state university located on a compact hilltop campus at 1201 Locust Avenue in Fairmont, West Virginia, founded in 1865 and governed by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. The institution enrolls 3,200+ students and offers 40+ degree programs across five academic colleges (Business & Aviation; Education, Health & Human Performance; Liberal Arts; Nursing; and Science & Technology), including majors such as Aviation Administration, Architecture, Nursing, Cybersecurity, Graphic Design, and several programs unique to West Virginia. Distribution is primarily regional, delivered through residential on-campus instruction, online and hybrid modalities (including ASN nursing and evening/weekend options for working adults), and a Middle College dual-enrollment pipeline for high school students.

Revenue is a composite of recurring tuition/fees (in-state tuition more than $2,300 below national average; out-of-state tuition nearly $5,700 below), state appropriations, and grant/foundation funding. The university markets cost leadership and a teacher-mentor model in which no classes are taught by graduate assistants, supported by a 15-student average class size and 50+ student organizations. Athletics are NCAA Division II as the Fighting Falcons in the Mountain East Conference, and student amenities include free admission to all athletic events. Compliance spans Title VI/VII/IX, Section 504, ADA, and the West Virginia Human Rights Act.

Go-to-market is community-led and conventional for higher education: "On the Road with Fairmont State" statewide tours led by President Mike Davis, a multimedia episode of "The College Tour," organic social presence (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, X), the institutional website, and admissions direct outreach. Strategic growth bets include the Welcome Home program for returning adult learners, dual enrollment via Middle College, online/hybrid scaling, and a renewed Textron Aviation Top Hawk partnership (named 2026 recipient) for aviation workforce development. The institution holds institutional and programmatic accreditations and is a recipient of federal-state economic development funding, including a $1,990,600 Appalachian Regional Commission award in October 2024.

Name

Fairmont State University

Legal name

Fairmont State University

Website

https://fairmontstate.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fairmont State University is a public state university in Fairmont, West Virginia, founded 1865, offering 40+ undergraduate and graduate degree programs to 3,200+ students across five academic colleges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM Research & Inquiry Programs (Research Mentorship, Science Fair Prep) (EDAMABAC), Undergraduate Teacher Education Colleges (EDAHAFAA), Secular/Nonsectarian Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAG)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate degrees
• Graduate programs
• Online learning
• Workforce training

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairmont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate tuition, with in-state tuition more than $2,300 below national average and out-of-state tuition nearly $5,700 below national average. Additional revenue from fees for specific programs and services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fairmont State University delivers higher-education instruction through more than 40 undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning five academic colleges: Business & Aviation, Education/Health/Human Performance, Liberal Arts, Nursing, and Science & Technology. Programs are offered on-campus, online, and via hybrid formats, with specialized workforce-development offerings such as Aviation Administration (Cessna Skyhawk training fleet) and unique-in-West-Virginia programs. The university also serves adult learners returning to complete degrees through its Welcome Home Program.

Product overview

Fairmont State University offers a comprehensive higher education portfolio spanning undergraduate and graduate degree programs across five academic colleges: College of Business & Aviation, College of Education, Health & Human Performance, College of Liberal Arts, College of Nursing, and College of Science & Technology. The institution provides 40+ degree programs including several unique offerings in West Virginia. Academic Pathways clusters group related programs to help students explore interests while maintaining graduation timelines. Programs range from professional degrees (Nursing, Business Administration, Architecture) to liberal arts (English, History, Political Science) to technical fields (Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Electronics Engineering Technology).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aviation Administration (Bachelor of Science)

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Textron AviationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 April 2026Top Hawk program partnership where Textron Aviation loans factory-new Cessna Skyhawk aircraft to Fairmont State University for one year to support aviation workforce development. The program has placed 55 aircraft since 2015 and trained over 1,000 student pilots. Fairmont State was named a 2026 Top Hawk recipient as the program enters its second decade.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Concord University: Concord is a public regional university in Athens, WV, competing in NCAA Division II Mountain East Conference. It serves a similar in-state undergraduate demographic and offers a comparable mix of liberal arts, business, and professional programs.
• West Virginia State University: WV State is a public HBCU in Institute, WV, with Mountain East Conference NCAA Division II athletics. It targets a similar in-state student population and offers comparable STEM, business, and general education programs.
• Glenville State University: Glenville State is a small public university in central West Virginia offering four-year degree programs and NCAA Division II athletics in the Mountain East Conference. It is closely comparable to Fairmont State in scope, scale, state affiliation, and conference membership.
• West Liberty University: West Liberty is a public university in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle with NCAA Division II Mountain East Conference membership. It competes directly for the same in-state undergraduate pool as Fairmont State.
• Bluefield State University: Bluefield State is a small public university in southern WV focused on undergraduate STEM, business, and nursing at similar scale. It directly competes for the same regional WV undergraduate market as Fairmont State.
• Shepherd University: Shepherd is a public university in Shepherdstown, WV, with similar scope and scale to Fairmont State including NCAA Division II athletics and below-average in-state tuition. Both institutions target the same regional adult-learner and undergraduate markets.

Regional players

• Davis & Elkins University: Davis & Elkins is a private liberal arts university in Elkins, WV with NCAA Division II athletics. It competes for a similar West Virginia undergraduate market but offers a primarily liberal-arts program portfolio.
• University of Charleston: The University of Charleston is a private university in Charleston, WV offering undergraduate and graduate programs across business, healthcare, and liberal arts. It competes regionally with Fairmont State, especially for non-traditional and graduate students.
• West Virginia Wesleyan College: WV Wesleyan is a private liberal arts college in Buckhannon, WV with NCAA Division II athletics. It competes in the same regional market as Fairmont State for WV undergraduates but operates a private, tuition-discount-based model.

Broad incumbents

• Marshall University: Marshall is a comprehensive public research university in Huntington, WV, offering broader program breadth including graduate research degrees and NCAA Division I athletics. It is a same-state broader-scope incumbent competing for in-state students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fairmontstate
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FairmontStateMedia
• Facebookfacebook.com/53151027535
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fairmont-state-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/fairmontstate/?ref=badge

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fairmont State University