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Private nonprofit · 4-year

Shenandoah University

Winchester, Virginia

38
D
DR Rating
DegreeReturn Rating — Weak value

A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.

Break-even
+$55,408 over 10 years

Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.

The payoff is roughly break-even — the degree recovers its cost, but slowly.

7 yrs
Break-even
+43%
10-year ROI
$63,571
Median earnings as of 2024
75% of Shenandoah University students earn more than a typical U.S. high-school graduate (about $28,000/yr) ten years after starting — measured from IRS tax records, not surveys.

The numbers behind the verdict

$30,298
Average net price / yr as of 2024
$63,571
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$65,767
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$25,000
Median debt at graduation as of 2024
67%
Graduation rate as of 2024
75%
Earn more than a HS grad as of 2024
77%
Repaying their loans (3 yr) as of 2024
82%
Retention rate as of 2024

Lifetime ROI: the long view

Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.

$55,408
After 10 years
$241,118
After 20 years
$426,828
After 30 years
$612,538
After 40 years

Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.

Equity & access

Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.

By gender
Women
$61,433
Men
$55,827

9% gap between the two groups

By family-income background
From lower-income families
$66,253
From higher-income families
$55,588

16% gap between the two groups

By student status (FAFSA)
Dependent students
$54,910
Independent students
$81,871

33% gap between the two groups

28%
First-generation students
51%
Take federal student loans
91%
Born in the U.S.
Who studies here
White 61%Hispanic 13%Asian 3%Black 9%Other 15%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.

Net price by family income

What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.

Family incomeAverage net price / yr
Family income $0–$30k$24,356
$30k–$48k$26,715
$48k–$75k$26,635
$75k–$110k$30,332
$110k+$33,591

How Shenandoah University compares

This college against the Virginia and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.

Graduate earnings over time

Median earnings of Shenandoah University students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.

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Best-paying majors at Shenandoah University

Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.

MajorCredentialEarnings (5 yr)Median debt10-yr ROIVerdict
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssociate's$87,914+608%Strong return
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssociate's$88,220$25,000+520%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsCertificate$126,681$39,115+503%Strong return
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingCertificate$121,059$49,022+447%Strong return
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationDoctoral$138,662$162,106+420%Strong return
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsMaster's$89,951$114,000+340%Strong return
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsCertificate$109,987$104,000+309%Strong return
Biology, GeneralAssociate's$64,660$20,706+189%Strong return
Public HealthAssociate's$63,571$27,000+164%Strong return
Physiology, Pathology and Related SciencesAssociate's$59,291$20,500+110%Strong return
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsAssociate's$58,666$23,250+98%Strong return
Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's$58,791$25,000+98%Strong return
Education, GeneralCertificate$69,756$27,108+89%Strong return
Psychology, GeneralAssociate's$56,584$25,000+66%Break-even
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsCertificate$61,876$58,924+18%Break-even
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasAssociate's$50,178$27,000-27%Poor return
MusicAssociate's$34,679$25,500-248%Poor return
Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftAssociate's$29,435$27,000-321%Poor return
DanceAssociate's$28,029-380%Poor return

Calculate your own ROI

Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.

ROI at Shenandoah University

Or pick your to set cost

Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.

10-yr net gain
Break-even
10-yr ROI

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Admissions & profile

77%
Admission rate
0
Average SAT
0
Median ACT
2,116
Undergraduates

Location

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.

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