Benedict College vs Shaw University

Benedict College and Shaw University, both esteemed historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), offer unique educational experiences to their students. Benedict College, located in Columbia, South Carolina, boasts a higher acceptance rate (68%) compared to Shaw University's 58%. While Benedict College excels in nursing, Shaw University stands out in social sciences. Benedict College's student body is predominantly female (63%), while Shaw University has a more balanced gender ratio. In terms of graduation rates, Benedict College has a slightly higher rate (48%) compared to Shaw University's 45%. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the differences between these two institutions and make an informed decision about which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Benedict College	Shaw University
Overview
Location	Columbia, South Carolina	Raleigh, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	62.0%	58.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Baptist	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.5%	65.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $25	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	9,322	2,435
Total number of admissions given out	7,971	1,591
Admitted students who chose to enroll	584	142
Yield rate	7.3%	8.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$30,000	$30,270
Average net price	$11,701	$15,498
Tuition	$14,600	$11,808
Room & board	$6,386	Room/dormitory: $3,842 Meal plan: $4,672
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	94.0% Average amount $15,242	99.0% Average amount $15,344
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $7,934	70.0% Average amount $5,858
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $24,500	1.0% Average amount $13,812

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,895 Men 43.4% Women 56.6%	998 Men 42.8% Women 57.2%
Graduate students	13 Men 61.5% Women 38.5%	143 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	12.7%	6.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,582	1,144
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Family and Consumer Sciences	Business Theology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	24.7%	16.3%
Dropout rate	41.9%	81.0%
Transferred out	32.9%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,802 Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: $35,002 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,466 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $29,803 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,816 Year 2: $22,834 Year 3: $24,800 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,602 Year 3: $24,793 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $20,237 Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,739 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,235 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,104 Year 2: $29,866 Year 3: $37,072 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,535 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $35,008 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,305 Year 3: $31,328 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,703 Year 3: $28,828 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,994 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $26,669 Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,795 Year 2: $23,340 Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

Benedict College

Tuskegee University