Shepherd University vs Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)

Shepherd University and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, while both offering a rich academic experience, present distinct characteristics that cater to different student preferences. Shepherd University, nestled in the historic town of Shepherdstown, West Virginia, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. In contrast, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, located in the vibrant city of North Adams, Massachusetts, maintains a lower acceptance rate, indicating a more selective admissions process. Delve into the comparison table to explore further differences in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, and discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts	Shepherd University
Overview
Location	North Adams, Massachusetts	Shepherdstown, West Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	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	63.0%	66.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	91.0%	96.4%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $40
SAT range	N/A	960 - 1180
ACT range	N/A	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score		47.0%
Students submitting ACT score		17.0%
Total number of applicants	1,371	1,338
Total number of admissions given out	1,247	1,290
Admitted students who chose to enroll	167	419
Yield rate	13.4%	32.5%
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)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,928 Out of state: $34,873	In state: $23,132 Out of state: $33,572
Average net price	$14,902	$10,360
Tuition	In state: $1,030 Out of state: $9,975	In state: $5,790 Out of state: $15,276
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,240 Meal plan: $5,044	Room/dormitory: $5,798 Meal plan: $5,050
Available payment plans	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $8,496	87.0% Average amount $7,767
Students receiving federal student loan	97.0% Average amount $3,734	53.0% Average amount $5,075
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $9,492	7.0% Average amount $12,449

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	870 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%	2,450 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%
Graduate students	124 Men 33.1% Women 66.9%	565 Men 22.1% Women 77.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	27.6%
International students	N/A	1.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	1,020	1,052
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Mississippi New York Vermont Connecticut Rhode Island	West Virginia Maryland Virginia Pennsylvania District of Columbia

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Computer and Information Science Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Social Sciences Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	58.4%	44.1%
Dropout rate	41.6%	43.3%
Transferred out	N/A	10.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,895 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $73,830 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,172 Year 2: $34,467 Year 3: $40,733 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,359 Year 2: $27,181 Year 3: $40,148 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $35,408 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,617 Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: $34,741 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,798 Year 2: $31,828 Year 3: $32,817 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,438 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $32,425 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,231 Year 2: $29,374 Year 3: $31,158 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,032 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: N/A Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,169 Year 2: $25,194 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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Shepherd University vs Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA)

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Shepherd University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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