West Visayas State University (WVSU, referred to colloquially by locals as West; Filipino: Pamantasang Pampamahalaan ng Kanlurang Bisayas[2]) is a public normal research university located in La Paz, Iloilo City, Western Visayas region of the Philippines.

The 2,000 hectare Mari-it Wildlife and Conservation Park which is managed as part of the 3,000 hectare WVSU College of Agriculture and Forestry campus in Lambunao, Iloilo, is the largest hornbill breeding facility in the world.

By 2005, the Local Government Unit of Himamaylan in Negros Occidental entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with WVSU for the establishment of the WVSU Himamaylan City Extension in 2006 which was later elevated to external campus from being an extension campus.

[15] The university is organized into twelve academic granting units offering courses from grade school all the way to post-graduate education.

Established as early as 1902, WVSU wasn't an independent and distinct institution until 1924 when it was formally founded as Iloilo Normal School.

The AACCUP is a member of the National Network of Quality Assurance Agencies, Inc. (NNQAA) in the Philippines.

[16] West Visayas State University is one of the first institutions to have its academic programs accredited to higher levels having surpassed the quality standards for instruction, research and extension.

Programs recognized with Level III Re-accredited status are academic offerings in undergraduate and master's degree levels specifically Physical Education, Forestry, Agriculture, and programs in Communication (Broadcasting, Journalism and Development Communication).

Centers of Excellence (COE) WVSU programs in Nursing, Social Science, Biology and Education have been awarded for achieving Level 4 Qualified status by the Accrediting Agency for Chartered Colleges and Universities in the Philippines (AACCUP) Inc.[29] WVSU College of Nursing had three of the top scorers on the 2014 Nurse Licensure Examination (NLE),[30] and the school posted a 100% passing rate in the June 2016 NLE plus five top scorers.

[33][34][35][36] Also at present, WVSU is one of the top performing schools in the Philippines for the Physician Licensure Examinations.

[37][27] Among non-board examination courses, the University has an excelled reputation through its academic courses in English, Political Science, and Biology with specialization in Microbiology, Biotechnology and Pre-Med, these three programs were submitted for accreditation to the AACCUP and were recently granted with Level 4 Qualified status.

In July 2020, the legal education board approved and authorized WVSU to offer a Juris Doctor (JD) program under its newly established college of law, the first public law school in Western Visayas.

The Board of Regents exercise policy-making function in accordance with general policies, plans and programs on education as formulated by the Government.

[40] Vital Signs is the official publication of the West Visayas State University - College of Medicine.

The West Visayas State University system is composed of the main campus in La Paz, Iloilo City, six external campuses, and the West Visayas State University Medical Center.