Many West Virginia colleges started as normal schools, which trained teachers. The state began planning a teacher training system in 1865, and by 1872, six normal schools had been created in Huntington (Marshall), Fairmont, West Liberty, Glenville, Concord, and Shepherd. All of these schools are now universities.

In the early years, most were like high schools and faced struggles with low funding and politics. The original normal schools excluded Blacks. In 1895, Bluefield Colored Institute was founded to train Black teachers. Over time, the normal schools added more advanced courses. By the early 1900s, they focused fully on teacher training. In 1931, they were renamed state teachers colleges, and some began offering college degrees.