Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsPublic

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·shepherd.edu
6-yr Graduation
51%
+9.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Total enrollment
3,339
peer median 3,244
Avg net price
$11,363
+$112 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Use this data
Ask Clema
AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR Office

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
1,646
1,646 candidates competed
Admitted
1,593
96.8% acceptance rate
Enrolled
505
31.7% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
51%+9.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
4-year graduation
35%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
51%
Full-time retention
71%

Pell equity

17.9pp gap
Pell recipients
40%89 of 223
Non-Pell (all)
58%209 of 361
Subsidized loan, no Pell
50%47 of 94
No Federal Aid
61%162 of 267

Non-Pell students graduate at a 17.9-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 48 Title IV programs, 16 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 32 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
48
Passing
16
33.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

48programs
  • Passing16 · 33.3%
  • No Data32 · 66.7%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
15
No data
32

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

16
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+18.3%
$38,581 vs $32,604
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+26.8%
$41,344 vs $32,604
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
+29.6%
$53,606 vs $41,356
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor Degree · Natural Resources And Conservation
+43.5%
$46,797 vs $32,604
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+47.6%
$48,122 vs $32,604
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+50.3%
$48,992 vs $32,604
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+50.8%
$49,153 vs $32,604
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+53.7%
$50,124 vs $32,604

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

15
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
61%
$23,522 debt · $38,581 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
52%
$21,599 debt · $41,344 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
50%
$25,000 debt · $50,124 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
44%
$21,846 debt · $49,153 earn
Parks Recreation and Leisure Studies
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
44%
$22,743 debt · $51,789 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
43%
$21,150 debt · $48,992 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
43%
$20,500 debt · $48,122 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
38%
$24,317 debt · $63,412 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1950Next review Aug 2032

Programmatic accreditations · 6

Action history · 9

  1. Aug 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  2. Jan 2025Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  3. Apr 2024Voluntary Withdrawal Received
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  4. Apr 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  5. Apr 2022Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$7,906
$30–48k$7,753
$48–75k$10,107
$75–110k$14,000
$110k+$15,866

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$11,363
+$112vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs median $11,251
Federal loans
39.2%
In-state tuition
$9,056
Out-of-state
$19,082

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 1,009 students received $5.6M in Pell grants, alongside $9.5M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,009
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$5.6M
$5,586,952 total
Direct Loans
$9.5M
1,766 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$2.0M
579 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.3M
938 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$873K
65 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.3M
183 loan awards
Grad PLUS$5K
1 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 855 borrowers who entered repayment, 34 (3.9%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.9%
+1.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
855
Defaulted
34
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
9.7%
2017
8.4%
2018
6.7%
2019
3.9%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Shepherd

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs50
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

448 total completions
01Business
10122.5%
02Health Professions
8819.6%
03Education
7216.1%
04Liberal Arts
4610.3%
05Visual/Performing Arts
296.5%
06Social Sciences
296.5%
07Psychology
224.9%
08Biological Sciences
214.7%
09Computer Sciences
204.5%
10Security/Protective
204.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
3,339
12-mo unduplicated
4,007
Undergraduate
3,370
Graduate
637

Gender split

Men
37%1,477
Women
63%2,530

Race / ethnicity composition

White
72.3%
Hispanic
8.7%
Black
8.3%
Two or more
6.5%
Unknown
1.7%
Asian
1.5%
Non-resident
0.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
348
211 M · 137 W
Women athletes
39.4%
Athletic aid
$1.4M
Total student aid
Budget
$5.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$946K
$432K
Recruiting expense
$210K
$141K
Head-coach salaries
$52K
$41K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 11

Football
113 M · —
$1.6M
Soccer
29 M · 27 W
$491K
Other Sports
— · 35 W
$74K
Baseball
32 M · —
$308K
Basketball
14 M · 15 W
$744K
Lacrosse
— · 21 W
$137K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.60
2 offenses · 3,318 students

3-year trend

1.002 yrs ago0.311 yr ago0.60Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
6
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
16
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
2

By location

2total
  • On campus2

Includes 2 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
1
Dating violence
2
Stalking
4 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs07
Liquor019

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
17.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
111

Shepherd vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Shepherd selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectShepherd University
51%—3,339$11,363Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Fairmont State University
44%98.6%3,305$9,032Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
West Virginia State University
39%96.0%3,246$11,139Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Savannah State University
28%46.1%3,193$8,172Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
South Carolina State University
37%82.6%3,242$18,097Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Alcorn State University
56%45.3%2,995$13,265Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Peer group median42%82.6%3,244$11,251

Institutions like Shepherd

Explore the federal data for institutions in Shepherd's comparison group.

IPEDS

Shepherd Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Email
ir [at] shepherd.edu
Phone
304.876.5000
Address
301 N King St, Shepherdstown, WV 25443

The Office of Institutional Research collects and maintains information about the University and its operations to support planning and decision-making across campus. The Office also responds to external and internal requests for data, and reports information to state and national organizations.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Sara Maene, M.S.
    Director of Institutional Research

Frequently asked questions about Shepherd University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Shepherd.

What is the graduation rate at Shepherd University?

Shepherd University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 51% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Shepherd University?

Shepherd University reports a total enrollment of 3,339 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Shepherd University?

The average net price at Shepherd University is $11,363 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Shepherd University?

Shepherd University's yield rate is 31.7%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Shepherd University located?

Shepherd University is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia 25443.

Who runs Institutional Research at Shepherd University?

Shepherd University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about Shepherd University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Try for freeBook a demo

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card