Virginia Wesleyan University (VWU) vs Shenandoah U

Virginia Wesleyan University and Shenandoah University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Virginia Wesleyan, located in Virginia Beach, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Shenandoah, nestled in Winchester, stands out with its wider range of undergraduate programs, including popular majors like nursing and music. While Virginia Wesleyan's student body comprises primarily of full-time, traditional-age undergraduates, Shenandoah welcomes a more diverse mix of students, including part-time learners and adult learners. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, indicating their commitment to student success. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two exceptional universities and discover the one that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Shenandoah University	Virginia Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Winchester, Virginia	Virginia Beach, Virginia
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	76.0%	66.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Methodism	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	74.4%	86.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $30
SAT range	N/A	1150 - 1380
ACT range	N/A	27 - 31
Students submitting SAT score		13.0%
Students submitting ACT score		4.0%
Total number of applicants	2,616	2,076
Total number of admissions given out	1,945	1,793
Admitted students who chose to enroll	509	341
Yield rate	26.2%	19.0%
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	$49,610	$51,994
Average net price	$29,077	$22,584
Tuition	$33,140	$36,010
Room & board	$11,020	$10,264
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $19,733	99.0% Average amount $27,737
Students receiving federal student loan	94.0% Average amount $5,736	62.0% Average amount $5,299
Students taking out private loans	15.0% Average amount $19,715	13.0% Average amount $13,485

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,416 Men 38.2% Women 61.8%	1,241 Men 39.2% Women 60.8%
Graduate students	1,871 Men 22.3% Women 77.7%	83 Men 41.0% Women 59.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	47.2%	N/A
International students	1.2%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,185	858
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Virginia Maryland Pennsylvania West Virginia North Carolina	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	64.0%	46.8%
Dropout rate	18.4%	16.2%
Transferred out	17.5%	36.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,664 Year 2: $37,208 Year 3: $43,880 Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,137 Year 2: $35,330 Year 3: $42,341 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $38,256 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,903 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $35,121 Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,851 Year 3: $33,071 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,084 Year 2: $26,643 Year 3: $30,475 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $30,197 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $19,227 Year 3: N/A Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: N/A International Relations and National Security Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,781 Year 3: N/A

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