West Virginia Wesleyan College vs Shepherd University

West Virginia Wesleyan College and Shepherd University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in West Virginia, offer unique educational experiences to prospective students. While they share the common goal of providing quality education, they differ in several key aspects. West Virginia Wesleyan College, a private liberal arts college, boasts a smaller student body and a lower acceptance rate compared to Shepherd University, a public university with a larger and more diverse student population. The acceptance rate at West Virginia Wesleyan College is 75%, while Shepherd University's is 85%. In terms of popular majors, West Virginia Wesleyan College excels in the liberal arts and sciences, while Shepherd University offers a wider range of programs, including business, nursing, and education. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including graduation rates, student demographics, and more, to determine which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Shepherd University	West Virginia Wesleyan College
Overview
Location	Shepherdstown, West Virginia	Buckhannon, West Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	66.0%	65.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.4%	84.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $50
SAT range	960 - 1180	968 - 1180
ACT range	19 - 26	18 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	47.0%	33.0%
Students submitting ACT score	17.0%	30.0%
Total number of applicants	1,338	1,766
Total number of admissions given out	1,290	1,491
Admitted students who chose to enroll	419	302
Yield rate	32.5%	20.3%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,132 Out of state: $33,572	$41,677
Average net price	$10,360	$20,512
Tuition	In state: $5,790 Out of state: $15,276	$31,384
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,798 Meal plan: $5,050	Room/dormitory: $4,912 Meal plan: $5,142
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $7,767	100.0% Average amount $25,474
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,075	97.0% Average amount $5,882
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $12,449	10.0% Average amount $15,240

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,450 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%	982 Men 46.4% Women 53.6%
Graduate students	565 Men 22.1% Women 77.9%	72 Men 23.6% Women 76.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	27.6%	48.3%
International students	1.4%	5.0%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,052	1,020
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 Florida Maryland Pennsylvania Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Social Sciences Computer and Information Science	Health Professions Physical Science Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	44.1%	54.3%
Dropout rate	43.3%	45.4%
Transferred out	10.9%	N/A
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,633 Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $56,345 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,329 Year 3: $30,698 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,111 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,508 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,047 Year 2: $29,929 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,569 Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,326 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,544 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $35,878 Year 2: $38,871 Year 3: N/A

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