Shepherd University vs Bluefield State College

Shepherd University and Bluefield State College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in West Virginia, offer unique educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. Shepherd University, nestled in the historic town of Shepherdstown, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a broader range of students into its academic fold. Bluefield State College, situated in the scenic Appalachian Mountains, maintains a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community atmosphere. While Shepherd University excels in fields like Business, Education, and Nursing, Bluefield State College shines in programs such as Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Engineering Technology. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details regarding acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Bluefield State College	Shepherd University
Overview
Location	Bluefield, West Virginia	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	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	61.0%	66.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.9%	96.4%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $40
SAT range	880 - 1110	960 - 1180
ACT range	17 - 23	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	23.0%	47.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	17.0%
Total number of applicants	1,019	1,338
Total number of admissions given out	987	1,290
Admitted students who chose to enroll	346	419
Yield rate	35.1%	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: $22,971 Out of state: $30,169	In state: $23,132 Out of state: $33,572
Average net price	$11,309	$10,360
Tuition	In state: $8,434 Out of state: $15,632	In state: $5,790 Out of state: $15,276
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,600 Meal plan: $4,800	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)	85.0% Average amount $7,250	87.0% Average amount $7,767
Students receiving federal student loan	57.0% Average amount $5,367	53.0% Average amount $5,075
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $7,360	7.0% Average amount $12,449

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,358 Men 39.8% Women 60.2%	2,450 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students	N/A	565 Men 22.1% Women 77.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	27.6%
International students	0.8%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	176	1,052
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	West Virginia Maryland Virginia Pennsylvania District of Columbia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Engineering Technologies Education Liberal Arts Business	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Social Sciences Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	32.3%	44.1%
Dropout rate	48.9%	43.3%
Transferred out	14.7%	10.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $50,489 Year 2: $48,935 Year 3: $51,981 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,859 Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $51,131 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,154 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: N/A Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,307 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,729 Year 2: $30,554 Year 3: N/A Social Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,986 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,208 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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