# Shepherd University

Public college in Shepherdstown, WV. IPEDS ID 237792.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/shepherd-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/shepherd-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 97% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $11,363 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 51%; beats 67% of WV colleges and 44% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $49,358; beats 65% of WV colleges and 39% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $14,297

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,906 |
| 30-48k | $7,753 |
| 48-75k | $10,107 |
| 75-110k | $14,000 |
| 110k+ | $15,866 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.41 years on average (33% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $49,358 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $32,695 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WV (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $19,601 in-state; about $29,627 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $9,056 in-state, $19,082 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $11,308; books: $1,000

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 468–600; SAT math: 410–540; ACT: 19–24 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 1,793 applicants, 1,715 admitted, 566 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 97%, ACT 19–24 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 96%, ACT 20–24 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (33 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $75,914 | $78,764 | $27,206 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $57,265 | $74,218 | $21,830 |
| Sociology | $33,190 | $63,412 | $20,030 |
| Business Administration | $41,766 | $62,588 | $18,500 |
| Health Sciences | $39,351 | $56,953 | $25,000 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $34,287 | $51,789 | $24,950 |
| Communications | $23,653 | $50,353 | $19,558 |
| Studio Art | $33,059 | $50,124 | $21,500 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $33,587 | $49,153 | $29,500 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $46,549 | $48,992 | $25,000 |
| Social Work | $32,965 | $48,122 | $27,722 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $29,921 | $46,797 | $25,000 |
| Psychology | $31,282 | $41,344 | $22,500 |
| English | $27,186 | $38,581 | $19,661 |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | $49,165 | not reported | $21,937 |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Nutrition Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminal Justice | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Accounting | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $102,710 (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV), $80,130 (WV), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $126,830 (Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV), $97,470 (WV), $101,860 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).