More selective than 21% of West Virginia colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $19,601. College Scorecard.
Higher than 67% of West Virginia colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 65% of West Virginia colleges we cover and 39% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Shepherd University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,793 applicants, Shepherd University admitted 1,715 and 566 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 878–1140 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Shepherd University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for West Virginia residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Shepherd University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Shepherd University took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in West Virginia. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $7,906 | $34,865 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $7,753 | $34,191 | 2.1 years |
| $48–75k | $10,107 | $44,572 | 2.7 years |
| $75–110k | $14,000 | $61,740 | 3.7 years |
| $110k+ | $15,866 | $69,969 | 4.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (33% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($49,358) minus $32,695 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WV (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,663 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Shepherd University majors, earnings & careers
Shepherd University offers 33 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Science & Math · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Business & Finance · 3
- Engineering · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Education · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Shepherd University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $78,764 | $27,206 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $74,218 | $21,830 |
| Sociology | $63,412 | $20,030 |
| Business Administration | $62,588 | $18,500 |
| Health Sciences | $56,953 | $25,000 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $51,789 | $24,950 |
| Communications | $50,353 | $19,558 |
| Studio Art | $50,124 | $21,500 |
Quick list of all 33 majors
- Accounting—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Area Studies—
- Biology—
- Business Administration$62,588
- Chemistry—
- Communications$50,353
- Computer and Information Sciences$74,218
- Computer Engineering—
- Criminal Justice—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,992
- Engineering Science—
- English$38,581
- Environmental Science / Conservation$46,797
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Health Sciences$56,953
- History—
- International / Global Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$49,153
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$78,764
- Nutrition Science—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$51,789
- Political Science—
- Psychology$41,344
- Social Work$48,122
- Sociology$63,412
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art$50,124
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Washington
Overall prices in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,376. Housing costs 51% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 43 inches of rain a year, 23 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Jefferson County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Jefferson County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Shepherd University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in West Virginia by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd University | 97% | $11,363 | 51% | $49,358 | This school |
| Fairmont State University | 99% | $9,032 | 44% | $46,857 | |
| West Liberty University | 97% | $15,366 | 60% | $43,296 | |
| West Virginia State University | 96% | $11,139 | 39% | $40,492 | |
| Concord University | 93% | $9,966 | 39% | $42,703 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Shepherd University would cost you $2,331 more per year than Fairmont State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Shepherd University, mostly from more Shepherd University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$1,153).
- Fairmont State University gives aided families $2,748 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, West Virginia resident | Shepherd University | Fairmont State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,056 | $8,708 | +$348 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,000 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $11,308 | $11,486 | −$178 |
| Personal & travel | $2,566 | $2,000 | +$566 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,329 | −$3,176 | −$1,153 |
| Sticker price | $19,601 | $20,018 | −$417 |
| Average grants | −$8,238 | −$10,986 | +$2,748 |
| You pay | $11,363 | $9,032 | +$2,331 |
“+” means Shepherd University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Shepherd University
What is the Shepherd University acceptance rate?
Shepherd University accepts 97% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,715 of 1,793 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 878–1140 on the SAT or 19–24 on the ACT.
How much does Shepherd University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $19,601 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $11,363 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,906 and families earning $110k+ pay $15,866.
How much do Shepherd University graduates earn?
Former Shepherd University students earn a median $49,358 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Shepherd University graduation rate?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 71% return for their second year.
How long does a Shepherd University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Shepherd University costs about $44,572 after grants ($10,107 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $49,358 ten years after starting, $16,663 more than high school graduates in West Virginia ($32,695), so the cost is repaid in 2.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Shepherd University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/shepherd-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).