Western Colorado University vs Shepherd University

Western Colorado University and Shepherd University, located in the picturesque landscapes of Gunnison, Colorado, and Shepherdstown, West Virginia, respectively, offer distinct educational experiences. Western Colorado University boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body, while Shepherd University maintains a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. Both institutions excel in specific academic areas, with Western Colorado University excelling in fields like Business, Education, and Engineering, and Shepherd University shining in programs such as Psychology, Social Work, and Nursing. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details regarding acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Shepherd University	Western Colorado University
Overview
Location	Shepherdstown, West Virginia	Gunnison, Colorado
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Remote
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%	74.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.4%	90.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $50
SAT range	960 - 1180	1040 - 1230
ACT range	19 - 26	21 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	47.0%	37.0%
Students submitting ACT score	17.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	1,338	3,243
Total number of admissions given out	1,290	2,947
Admitted students who chose to enroll	419	456
Yield rate	32.5%	15.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not 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: $26,956 Out of state: $38,740
Average net price	$10,360	$17,490
Tuition	In state: $5,790 Out of state: $15,276	In state: $6,816 Out of state: $18,600
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,798 Meal plan: $5,050	Room/dormitory: $5,200 Meal plan: $4,790
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	87.0% Average amount $7,767	87.0% Average amount $8,085
Students receiving federal student loan	53.0% Average amount $5,075	56.0% Average amount $4,669
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $12,449	7.0% Average amount $12,501

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,450 Men 39.6% Women 60.4%	3,241 Men 51.4% Women 48.6%
Graduate students	565 Men 22.1% Women 77.9%	448 Men 31.2% Women 68.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	27.6%	34.9%
International students	1.4%	0.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,052	1,241
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	Colorado Texas California Alaska Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Social Sciences Computer and Information Science	Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Natural Resources and Conservation Business Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	44.1%	47.6%
Dropout rate	43.3%	32.8%
Transferred out	10.9%	17.2%
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	Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $50,432 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $29,076 Year 2: $40,365 Year 3: $45,493 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,272 Year 2: $40,488 Year 3: $43,479 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,324 Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $39,884 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,326 Year 2: $28,405 Year 3: $39,040 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,244 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $37,581 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,798 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $36,678 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,585 Year 3: $35,898 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,963 Year 2: $27,947 Year 3: $35,691 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,793 Year 2: $27,874 Year 3: $34,114

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