Shepherd University vs University of Charleston

Shepherd University and the University of Charleston, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in West Virginia, offer distinct educational experiences. Shepherd University, nestled in the historic town of Shepherdstown, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. In contrast, the University of Charleston, located in the vibrant capital city, maintains a lower acceptance rate, ensuring a selective and competitive admissions process. While Shepherd University excels in popular majors like Business, Education, and Nursing, the University of Charleston shines in fields such as Business, Health Professions, and Engineering. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details regarding student body demographics, graduation rates, and other crucial factors that will help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Shepherd University	University of Charleston
Overview
Location	Shepherdstown, West Virginia	Charleston, West Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	66.0%	74.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.4%	69.7%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50
SAT range	960 - 1180	N/A
ACT range	19 - 26	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	47.0%
Students submitting ACT score	17.0%
Total number of applicants	1,338	1,984
Total number of admissions given out	1,290	1,383
Admitted students who chose to enroll	419	246
Yield rate	32.5%	17.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,132 Out of state: $33,572	$47,450
Average net price	$10,360	$20,086
Tuition	In state: $5,790 Out of state: $15,276	$30,900
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,798 Meal plan: $5,050	Room/dormitory: $5,450 Meal plan: $4,350
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $7,767	99.0% Average amount $24,484
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,075	57.0% Average amount $5,403
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $12,449	1.0% Average amount $10,756

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,450 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%	2,162 Men 58.6% Women 41.4%
Graduate students	565 Men 22.1% Women 77.9%	764 Men 58.0% Women 42.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	27.6%	35.1%
International students	1.4%	6.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,052	756
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	West Virginia Maryland Virginia Pennsylvania District of Columbia	West Virginia Ohio Virginia Florida Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Social Sciences Computer and Information Science	Business Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences Law Enforcement and Firefighting
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	44.1%	43.0%
Dropout rate	43.3%	20.9%
Transferred out	10.9%	35.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,704 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $65,982 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,620 Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $53,735 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,461 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $48,671 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,026 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $43,769 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,615 Year 2: $38,670 Year 3: $42,186 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $35,736 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,911 Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,185 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $39,264 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,498 Year 2: $31,763 Year 3: $38,847 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,225 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $38,312 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,000 Year 2: $23,340 Year 3: $35,390	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $112,123 Year 2: $119,148 Year 3: $126,458 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,686 Year 2: $96,627 Year 3: $106,180 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,859 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $85,910 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,671 Year 2: $57,564 Year 3: $60,223 Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,971 Year 2: $46,478 Year 3: $51,510 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,904 Year 2: $44,928 Year 3: $50,637 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,786 Year 2: $46,321 Year 3: $49,711 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $46,400 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: N/A Security Policy and Strategy (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: N/A

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