Shenandoah U vs The Catholic University of America (CUA)

Shenandoah University and The Catholic University of America, both located in Virginia, offer distinct educational experiences. Shenandoah University, a private institution, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to The Catholic University of America's (65%). Shenandoah's student body is more diverse, with a larger percentage of international students. The Catholic University of America, a private Catholic university, excels in the sciences, with popular majors in biology, chemistry, and nursing. Shenandoah University, on the other hand, is known for its programs in music, health professions, and business. While The Catholic University of America has a slightly higher graduation rate (84% vs. 81%), both universities offer a supportive learning environment and prepare students for successful careers. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	The Catholic University of America	Shenandoah University
Overview
Location	Washington, District of Columbia	Winchester, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Small
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	88.0%	76.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.0%	74.4%
Application fees	$60	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	5,895	2,616
Total number of admissions given out	5,070	1,945
Admitted students who chose to enroll	691	509
Yield rate	13.6%	26.2%
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	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$74,126	$49,610
Average net price	$35,520	$29,077
Tuition	$51,040	$33,140
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,220 Meal plan: $6,800	$11,020
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	96.0% Average amount $31,915	100.0% Average amount $19,733
Students receiving federal student loan	56.0% Average amount $5,308	94.0% Average amount $5,736
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $22,405	15.0% Average amount $19,715

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,929 Men 44.1% Women 55.9%	2,416 Men 38.2% Women 61.8%
Graduate students	2,130 Men 47.2% Women 52.8%	1,871 Men 22.3% Women 77.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	47.2%
International students	8.3%	1.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,985	1,185
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania West Virginia North Carolina

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Public Administration and Social Service Legal Profession Visual & Performing Arts Health Professions	Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	73.7%	64.0%
Dropout rate	26.2%	18.4%
Transferred out	N/A	17.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,058 Year 2: $100,690 Year 3: $108,981 Business Administration, Management and Operations (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $73,312 Year 2: $89,092 Year 3: $98,232 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $72,088 Year 2: $73,769 Year 3: $83,282 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $62,128 Year 2: $64,162 Year 3: $80,941 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,938 Year 2: $53,984 Year 3: $77,885 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,277 Year 2: $54,035 Year 3: $77,782 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,219 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $77,474 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,927 Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $74,919 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $71,180 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,697 Year 2: $63,377 Year 3: $66,355	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $111,275 Year 2: $118,737 Year 3: $125,770 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,265 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $113,374 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $103,402 Year 2: $100,108 Year 3: $104,182 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,531 Year 2: $77,401 Year 3: $86,370 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $73,152 Year 2: $76,083 Year 3: $82,110 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,690 Year 2: $62,911 Year 3: $61,865 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,799 Year 2: $65,131 Year 3: $60,303 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,356 Year 2: $53,045 Year 3: $55,231 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,313 Year 2: $39,585 Year 3: $47,322 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $42,932

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