Shaw University vs Clark Atlanta

Shaw University and Clark Atlanta University, both esteemed historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), offer unique educational experiences to their students. Shaw University, located in Raleigh, North Carolina, boasts a higher acceptance rate (68%) compared to Clark Atlanta University's (59%) in Atlanta, Georgia. While Shaw University's student body is predominantly female (63%), Clark Atlanta University has a more balanced gender ratio. In terms of popular majors, Shaw University excels in nursing, while Clark Atlanta University is known for its strong business and computer science programs. With graduation rates of 44% and 42% respectively, both institutions are committed to supporting their students towards degree completion. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more distinctions between these two exceptional HBCUs and make an informed decision about your higher education journey.

	Clark Atlanta University	Shaw University
Overview
Location	Atlanta, Georgia	Raleigh, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Large	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	70.0%	58.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	58.2%	65.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50
SAT range	860 - 1053	N/A
ACT range	17 - 20	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	19.0%
Students submitting ACT score	8.0%
Total number of applicants	16,718	2,435
Total number of admissions given out	9,737	1,591
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,123	142
Yield rate	11.5%	8.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$39,446	$30,270
Average net price	$29,739	$15,498
Tuition	$21,308	$11,808
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,874 Meal plan: $4,348	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)	86.0% Average amount $8,674	99.0% Average amount $15,344
Students receiving federal student loan	93.0% Average amount $8,385	70.0% Average amount $5,858
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $9,954	1.0% Average amount $13,812

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,390 Men 23.7% Women 76.3%	998 Men 42.8% Women 57.2%
Graduate students	665 Men 27.5% Women 72.5%	143 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	77.9%	N/A
International students	1.1%	6.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,162	1,144
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Georgia Illinois New York Maryland California	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Communication and Journalism Public Administration and Social Service Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts	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	41.6%	16.3%
Dropout rate	39.7%	81.0%
Transferred out	17.4%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $40,378 Year 2: $43,030 Year 3: $47,036 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,161 Year 2: $40,068 Year 3: $43,257 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,583 Year 2: $23,649 Year 3: $34,496 Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,894 Year 2: $24,730 Year 3: $29,620 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,229 Year 2: $23,166 Year 3: $28,399 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,727 Year 2: $25,405 Year 3: $27,427 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,408 Year 2: $21,781 Year 3: $26,974 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,421 Year 3: $24,839 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,925 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $77,566 Year 2: $67,660 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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