West Liberty University vs Shepherd University

West Liberty University and Shepherd University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in West Virginia, offer distinct educational experiences. West Liberty University boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Shepherd University, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. While both universities offer a diverse range of academic programs, West Liberty University excels in fields like Business, Education, and Health Professions, while Shepherd University shines in areas such as Social Sciences, Psychology, and Visual and Performing Arts. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, tuition fees, and campus life, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Shepherd University	West Liberty University
Overview
Location	Shepherdstown, West Virginia	West Liberty, West Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Rural: 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	66.0%	93.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.4%	73.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $40
SAT range	960 - 1180	890 - 1175
ACT range	19 - 26	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	47.0%	25.0%
Students submitting ACT score	17.0%	54.0%
Total number of applicants	1,338	1,606
Total number of admissions given out	1,290	1,186
Admitted students who chose to enroll	419	378
Yield rate	32.5%	31.9%
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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,132 Out of state: $33,572	In state: $22,039 Out of state: $29,988
Average net price	$10,360	$14,915
Tuition	In state: $5,790 Out of state: $15,276	In state: $8,345 Out of state: $16,294
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,798 Meal plan: $5,050	$10,020
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $7,767	85.0% Average amount $5,628
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,075	64.0% Average amount $7,751
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $12,449	12.0% Average amount $11,559

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,450 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%	2,087 Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
Graduate students	565 Men 22.1% Women 77.9%	204 Men 48.5% Women 51.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	27.6%	42.2%
International students	1.4%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity	1,052	1,269
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	West Virginia Maryland Virginia Pennsylvania District of Columbia	West Virginia Ohio Pennsylvania Maryland Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Social Sciences Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	44.1%	42.3%
Dropout rate	43.3%	46.7%
Transferred out	10.9%	11.1%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,593 Year 2: $90,856 Year 3: $98,881 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $50,363 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,321 Year 2: $34,420 Year 3: $41,118 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $36,849 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,485 Year 2: $32,828 Year 3: $35,649 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,656 Year 2: $27,126 Year 3: $34,193 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $33,932 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,753 Year 3: $33,188 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,158 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: N/A Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $18,576 Year 3: N/A

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West Liberty University vs Shepherd University

Shepherd University

West Liberty University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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