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Is Shepherd University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Shepherd, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Shepherd lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $18,978 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $54,833, but the margin is not huge. For context, Shepherd's net price is about 4% below the typical 4-year, public school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 774 similar 4-year, public schools
This school
$12,651
/yrAverage school like this
$13,155
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $504 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $2,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$7,940
Median earnings 10 years out
$54,833
Median debt at graduation
$18,978
Graduation rate
51%
At Shepherd, a typical graduate carries about $18,978 in student debt and earns roughly $54,833 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $216 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
How earnings compare to a high school diploma
Graduates earn $25,837 more than the typical working high school graduate in West Virginia ($28,996) ten years after entering this school. A federal rule finalized in July 2026 ties each undergraduate program's federal loan eligibility to a comparison like this one, with the first calculations expected in 2027.
The national figure is $31,269. The Department of Education uses it instead of the state figure when fewer than half of a school's students come from its state.
77% of former students here earned more than the typical high school graduate ten years after entry, by College Scorecard's own measure.
Context, not a federal determination. The benchmarks are the Department of Education's published thresholds (2024 notice, based on 2022 Census data); thresholds under the 2026 rule have not been released yet. The official test looks at each program's graduates four years after completion; our figure is College Scorecard's median for the whole school, ten years after entry. How this works
Program earnings vs. the federal benchmark
Median earnings of working graduates four years after finishing each undergraduate program, next to the benchmark the federal earnings test uses: the typical working high school graduate aged 25–34 in West Virginia ($28,996).
English Language and Literature, General
Bachelor's degree · 24 working graduates counted
$38,581
$9,585 above the benchmark
Psychology, General
Bachelor's degree · 21 working graduates counted
$41,344
$12,348 above the benchmark
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
Bachelor's degree · 26 working graduates counted
$46,797
$17,801 above the benchmark
Social Work
Bachelor's degree · 31 working graduates counted
$48,122
$19,126 above the benchmark
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor's degree · 79 working graduates counted
$48,992
$19,996 above the benchmark
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor's degree · 68 working graduates counted
$49,153
$20,157 above the benchmark
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor's degree · 33 working graduates counted
$50,124
$21,128 above the benchmark
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor's degree · 26 working graduates counted
$50,353
$21,357 above the benchmark
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies
Bachelor's degree · 55 working graduates counted
$51,789
$22,793 above the benchmark
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General
Bachelor's degree · 23 working graduates counted
$56,953
$27,957 above the benchmark
23 other undergraduate programs here have no four-year earnings figure, usually because too few graduates were counted to publish one. That says nothing about how those programs do. See every program on College Scorecard
An estimate, not an official determination. Under a federal rule taking effect July 1, 2027, programs below this benchmark in official results may face limits on federal student loans; Pell Grants are not affected. The official test uses finer program categories, different graduating classes and the Department's own records; its first results are expected in 2027. Programs that train for tipped jobs, such as cosmetology and massage, won't be rated on 2025 earnings, and the Department decides which programs qualify. Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data (released Oct 15, 2026). Benchmark: Department of Education published thresholds (2024 notice).
Represent Shepherd University and think a figure here is wrong? Request a correction and we'll check it against the latest College Scorecard release.
What this means for your family
Shepherd is a public four year school in Shepherdstown, WV. For many families, the key question is whether the published value here beats cheaper in state or regional alternatives once your real aid offer arrives.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Public 4-year
Marshall
Huntington, WV
Worth-It Score: 66/100
Median net price: $7,341
Public 4-year
West Liberty
West Liberty, WV
Worth-It Score: 68/100
Median net price: $8,988
Public 4-year
Concord
Athens, WV
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $9,484
Public 4-year
Fairmont State
Fairmont, WV
Worth-It Score: 65/100
Median net price: $10,060
Public 4-year
Glenville State
Glenville, WV
Worth-It Score: 60/100
Median net price: $10,748
Common questions about Shepherd
The median net price at Shepherd is $7,940 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at public universities options in West Virginia? See the most affordable public universities in West Virginia →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →
What families actually paid
The published price is rarely what anyone pays. Pick a household income range to see what students at Shepherd in that range paid on average, after grants and scholarships.
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All students who received aid
$7,940a year, on average
Average for first-time, full-time students who received federal financial aid, 2024-25. It does not include transfer or part-time students, and it is an average rather than a quote — what you pay depends on your own circumstances and the aid this school offers you. Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS.
Now work out how to pay for it, cheapest money first.
A Worth-It Score tells you whether the price is justified. The 2026-27 funding guide covers the borrowing order, what changed on July 1, 2026, and the current limits.
Open the 2026-27 funding guide →