Founded in 1867 as a public land-grant institution, West Virginia University has grown to become a research university, with faculty receiving more than $150 million worth of sponsored contacts and research grants, annually. The university is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, which was recently named "Number One Small City in America" by BizJournals.com for its small population of 28,292 and high quality of life. Thanks to its location, West Virginia University is within easy reach of famous cities such as Washington, D.C.; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Cleveland, Ohio.

As of autumn of 2006, the university had over 27,000 undergraduate and graduate students enrolled. Of these students, only 58 percent are residents of West Virginia, with the rest of the student body hailing from various U.S. territories and states, and over 90 different countries.

The students at West Virginia University are as accomplished as they are diverse. The university ranks nationally in the amount of students who have been awarded with prestigious scholarships, such as Rhodes Scholarships, Truman Scholarships, and Goldwater Scholarships.