$49,358
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Shepherd University is a public 4-year college in Shepherdstown, West Virginia with 2,344 undergraduates and 307 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $11,363 a year (tuition and fees $9,056 in-state, $19,082 out-of-state). It admits 97% of applicants and 51% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $49,358 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,600 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$11,363
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$9,056
Out-of-state $19,082
Admission rate
97%
US median 78%
Completion rate
51%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,600
About $229 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$49,358
Rank 1,529 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $11,363
- Tuition in-state
- $9,056
- Tuition out-of-state
- $19,082
- Cost of attendance
- $19,601
- Students with a need-based grant
- 29%
- Students with federal loans
- 39%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $7,906
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $7,753
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $10,107
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $14,000
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $15,866
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $6,830 in 2015-16 to $9,056 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 97%
- Average SAT
- 1,034
- SAT reading, middle
- 555
- SAT math, middle
- 515
- ACT, middle
- 23
- Undergraduates
- 2,344
- Graduate students
- 307
- Part-time students
- 8.4%
- Women
- 61%
- Students per teacher
- 17
- Completion rate
- 51%
- Retention rate
- 71%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 52
- Endowment
- $33.7M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,529 of 5,094 US colleges and 9 of 59 in West Virginia (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | WV median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $11,363 | $9,988 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $9,056 | $9,570 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 97% | 93% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 51% | 61% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 71% | 70% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,600 | $15,625 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $43,726 | $33,094 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $49,358 | $37,962 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 50% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 72% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
52 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 66 | $24,875 | $75,914 | $78,764 | $88,910 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 65 | $21,350 | $33,587 | $49,153 | $53,072 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 59 | $17,677 | $41,766 | $62,588 | $68,257 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 41 | $19,813 | $46,549 | $48,992 | $47,382 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 29 | $27,490 | $62,820 | $83,114 | $103,485 |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 28 | $21,565 | $32,965 | $48,122 | $51,790 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $22,625 | $34,287 | $51,789 | $50,983 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $21,449 | $31,282 | $41,344 | $50,706 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $21,500 | $57,265 | $74,218 | $92,374 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $19,100 | $49,165 | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $21,500 | $33,059 | $50,124 | $41,367 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | $19,225 | $23,653 | $50,353 | $56,359 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | $18,500 | $33,190 | $63,412 | $52,657 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's | Bachelor's | 16 | $25,000 | $29,921 | $46,797 | $55,012 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesMaster's | Master's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | $53,606 | $60,111 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $25,000 | $39,351 | $56,953 | $61,296 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingProfessional | Professional | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Education, GeneralMaster's | Master's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $76,194 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $65,120 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $63,293 |
| Engineering ScienceBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $93,782 |
| International/Globalization StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $59,972 |
| EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $82,686 |
| MusicBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $42,892 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Shepherdstown and West Virginia on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in West Virginia
- Homes: Homes for sale in West Virginia
Questions and answers
How much does Shepherd University cost?
$11,363 a year is the average net price at Shepherd University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $9,056 for in-state students and $19,082 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $19,601. Families earning under $30,000 pay $7,906 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Shepherd University?
97% of applicants are admitted to Shepherd University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,034 and the middle ACT score is 23. The median admission rate of colleges in West Virginia is 93%.
How much do Shepherd University graduates earn?
$49,358 a year is the median pay of former Shepherd University students who work, 10 years after they started ($43,726 after 6 years). That ranks 1,529 of 5,094 US colleges and 9 of 59 in West Virginia. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's) at $75,914.
How much student debt do Shepherd University graduates have?
$21,600 is the median federal student loan debt of Shepherd University graduates, about $229 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 39% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Shepherd University?
51% of first-time, full-time students at Shepherd University finish within 6 years. 71% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Shepherd University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (66 bachelor's graduates), Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (65 bachelor's graduates), Business Administration, Management and Operations (59 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 52 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.