FMU-Florence vs Shepherd University

Francis Marion University and Shepherd University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Francis Marion, nestled in the heart of South Carolina, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Shepherd, located in the picturesque Shenandoah Valley of West Virginia, stands out with its lower student-to-faculty ratio, fostering a more personalized learning environment. While Francis Marion's student body is predominantly female, Shepherd's is more evenly balanced between genders. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision in choosing the university that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Francis Marion University	Shepherd University
Overview
Location	Florence, South Carolina	Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Campus setting	Suburb: Small	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	66.0%	66.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.1%	96.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $41 Graduate: $41	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $40
SAT range	930 - 1120	960 - 1180
ACT range	15 - 22	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	20.0%	47.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	17.0%
Total number of applicants	3,028	1,338
Total number of admissions given out	2,608	1,290
Admitted students who chose to enroll	699	419
Yield rate	26.8%	32.5%
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)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,351 Out of state: $34,735	In state: $23,132 Out of state: $33,572
Average net price	$13,299	$10,360
Tuition	In state: $10,384 Out of state: $20,768	In state: $5,790 Out of state: $15,276
Room & board	$8,230	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 $10,192	87.0% Average amount $7,767
Students receiving federal student loan	59.0% Average amount $5,579	53.0% Average amount $5,075
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $7,593	7.0% Average amount $12,449

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,475 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%	2,450 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students	448 Men 22.8% Women 77.2%	565 Men 22.1% Women 77.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	4.4%	27.6%
International students	1.6%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	1,413	1,052
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina North Carolina Florida Georgia Texas	West Virginia Maryland Virginia Pennsylvania District of Columbia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Visual & Performing Arts	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Social Sciences Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	43.2%	44.1%
Dropout rate	15.9%	43.3%
Transferred out	38.3%	10.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $97,582 Year 2: $101,964 Year 3: $110,561 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,618 Year 2: $58,866 Year 3: $60,568 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,080 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $47,870 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,649 Year 3: $40,311 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,861 Year 2: $28,443 Year 3: $34,636 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,038 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $34,338 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,535 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $34,010 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,804 Year 2: $28,180 Year 3: $32,997 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,805 Year 2: $30,157 Year 3: $32,022 History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,652 Year 3: $31,548	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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FMU-Florence vs Shepherd University

Francis Marion University

Shepherd University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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