North Carolina Wesleyan College vs Shaw University

North Carolina Wesleyan College and Shaw University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Wesleyan, a private liberal arts college, boasts a 90% acceptance rate, while Shaw, a private historically Black university, maintains a slightly lower 78% acceptance rate. Wesleyan's student body is predominantly White (68%) and female (60%), while Shaw's student body is predominantly Black (84%) and female (62%). Both institutions offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Wesleyan including Business, Education, and Psychology, and popular majors at Shaw including Business, Education, and Social Work. While Wesleyan boasts a higher graduation rate (60%) compared to Shaw's (48%), both institutions provide ample opportunities for students to succeed academically and professionally. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and goals.
North Carolina Wesleyan College logo

North Carolina Wesleyan College

Shaw University logo

Shaw University

Overview

Location Rocky Mount, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina
Campus setting City: Small 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 65.0% 58.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation Methodism Baptist

Admission

Acceptance rate 28.0% 65.3%
Application fees $100
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $50
SAT range 860 - 1120 N/A
ACT range 15 - 21 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 35.0%
Students submitting ACT score 49.0%
Total number of applicants 2,220 2,435
Total number of admissions given out 622 1,591
Admitted students who chose to enroll 193 142
Yield rate 31.0% 8.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $45,171 $30,270
Average net price $20,208 $15,498
Tuition $32,996 $11,808
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,350

Meal plan: $6,568
Room/dormitory: $3,842

Meal plan: $4,672
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

98.0%
Average amount $25,442
99.0%
Average amount $15,344
Students receiving federal student loan 64.0%
Average amount $6,265
70.0%
Average amount $5,858
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $9,778
1.0%
Average amount $13,812

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 1,424
Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
998
Men 42.8% Women 57.2%
Graduate students 107
Men 23.4% Women 76.6%
143
Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A N/A
International students 10.4% 6.2%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Large
Dormitory capacity 826 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
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Health Professions
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • English Language and Literature
  • Business
  • Theology
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Psychology
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 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 40.3% 16.3%
Dropout rate 25.2% 81.0%
Transferred out 34.5% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,579
  • Year 2: $40,222
  • Year 3: $43,046
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $39,717
  • Year 2: $41,937
  • Year 3: $42,974
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,559
  • Year 2: $42,123
  • Year 3: $41,610
Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,057
  • Year 2: $39,369
  • Year 3: $38,703
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $28,727
  • Year 2: $31,773
  • Year 3: $34,629
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $21,052
  • Year 3: $33,462
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,518
  • Year 2: $31,133
  • Year 3: $33,106
Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $32,391
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,201
  • Year 2: N/A
  • 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

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