Castleton University vs Shepherd University

Castleton University and Shepherd University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Castleton, nestled in the picturesque town of Castleton, Vermont, boasts a close-knit community and a focus on experiential learning. Shepherd, located in the vibrant city of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, prides itself on its diverse student body and strong liberal arts foundation. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Castleton University	Shepherd University
Overview
Location	Castleton, Vermont	Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	67.0%	66.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	87.3%	96.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $40
SAT range	958 - 1158	960 - 1180
ACT range	16 - 22	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	13.0%	47.0%
Students submitting ACT score	1.0%	17.0%
Total number of applicants	2,447	1,338
Total number of admissions given out	2,136	1,290
Admitted students who chose to enroll	391	419
Yield rate	18.3%	32.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $27,308 Out of state: $44,276	In state: $23,132 Out of state: $33,572
Average net price	$17,970	$10,360
Tuition	In state: $11,832 Out of state: $28,800	In state: $5,790 Out of state: $15,276
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,312 Meal plan: $4,730	Room/dormitory: $5,798 Meal plan: $5,050
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $13,124	87.0% Average amount $7,767
Students receiving federal student loan	75.0% Average amount $5,202	53.0% Average amount $5,075
Students taking out private loans	19.0% Average amount $13,210	7.0% Average amount $12,449

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,744 Men 44.2% Women 55.8%	2,450 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students	625 Men 22.6% Women 77.4%	565 Men 22.1% Women 77.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	50.9%	27.6%
International students	3.2%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	1,100	1,052
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Vermont New York New Hampshire Connecticut New Jersey	West Virginia Maryland Virginia Pennsylvania District of Columbia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Multidisciplinary Studies Education	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Social Sciences Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	55.1%	44.1%
Dropout rate	15.3%	43.3%
Transferred out	28.5%	10.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,804 Year 2: $63,855 Year 3: $68,139 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $62,747 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $49,942 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,266 Year 2: $37,363 Year 3: $42,872 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,556 Year 2: $31,581 Year 3: $40,781 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,579 Year 2: $26,585 Year 3: $38,364 Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,193 Year 2: $33,687 Year 3: $37,105 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,109 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: $35,029 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $33,702 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A	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

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Castleton University vs Shepherd University

Castleton University

Shepherd University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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