by our College Data Analytics TeamShepherd University is a public institution in Shepherdstown, West Virginia enrolling 2,344 undergraduates. It accepts 97% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 51%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #1,287 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 25%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Shepherd University ranks #1,287 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 25%.
College Factual recognizes the best colleges and universities in its annual rankings. These rankings include categories for best overall colleges, best colleges for each major, best value schools, and much more.
Shepherd University was awarded 121 badges in the 2027 rankings.
College Factual ranked Shepherd University as #1,287 out of 5,159 colleges and universities in the country on its 2027 Best Colleges list.
Shepherd University also holds the #4 spot on the Best Colleges in West Virginia ranking.
See all of the rankings for Shepherd University.
Shepherd University has an acceptance rate of 97%, so it is easier to gain admission to this school than some others. Still, the admissions staff will examine your application closely to make sure you’re a good fit for Shepherd University.
About 54% of students accepted to Shepherd University submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 468 and 600. Math scores were between 410 and 540.
Shepherd University received ACT scores from 8% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 19 and 24.
Learn more about Shepherd University admissions.
With a student to faculty ratio of 17 to 1, Shepherd University is about average in this regard as the nationwide rate is 15 to 1. While this does not translate directly to class size, it’s a good indicator of how much time professors will have to spend with their students on a one-on-one basis.
When estimating how much access students will have to their teachers, some people like to look at what percentage of faculty members are full time. This is because part-time teachers may not have as much time to spend on campus as their full-time counterparts.
The full-time faculty percentage at Shepherd University is 53%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.
The freshmen retention rate tells us what percentage of first-year, full-time students choose to continue on to their sophomore year at a particular school. The rate at Shepherd University is 71%, which is about average when compared to the national rate of 68%.
Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At Shepherd University the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 51%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.
Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Shepherd University.
During the most recent academic year, there were 2,344 undergraduates at Shepherd University.
Get more detailed information on the diversity at Shepherd University.
The typical net cost at Shepherd University is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.
| $0-30 K | $30K-48K | $48-75 | $75-110K | $110K + |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $7,906 | $7,753 | $10,107 | $14,000 | $15,866 |
The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of Shepherd University, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.
Almost 66% of college students who graduated with the class of 2018 took out student loans, but that percentage varies from school to school. At Shepherd University, approximately 39% of students took out student loans averaging $8,041 a year. That adds up to $32,164 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 9.6%. This is about the same as the national default rate of 10.1%. Get more details about paying for Shepherd University.
Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from Shepherd University make around $49,358 per year during the early years of their employment. This is right on par with the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. Also, graduates in your major field may make more.
See which majors at Shepherd University make the most money.
Shepherd University is an public institution located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The rural area surrounding the school is great for students who prefer living in a country setting. Get more details about the location of Shepherd University.
Get in touch with Shepherd University are listed below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 301 North King St, Shepherdstown, WV 25443 |
| Phone: | 3048765000 |
| Website: | www.shepherd.edu/ |
| Wikipedia: | en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd_University |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/ShepherdUniversity |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/ShepherdU |
In the most recent reporting year, students from 24 majors graduated from Shepherd University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.
| Most Popular Majors | Completions | Average Salary of Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-Disciplinary Studies | 560 | NA |
| Business Administration & Management | 93 | $46,165 |
| Nursing | 73 | $61,704 |
| Liberal Arts General Studies | 46 | $31,498 |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 44 | $39,615 |
| General Psychology | 22 | $33,675 |
| General Biology | 21 | $25,225 |
| Criminal Justice & Corrections | 20 | NA |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 20 | $25,289 |
| Computer Information Systems | 19 | $49,620 |
1,873 students took at least one online class at Shepherd University.
Online learning options are becoming more and more popular at American colleges and universities. Online classes are great for students who have busy schedules or for those who just want to study on their own time.
Learn more about online learning at Shepherd University.
Want to see how other colleges compare to Shepherd University? Compare them side by side using College Combat, our free tool for head-to-head college comparisons.
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References