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Shenandoah University: Shenandoah U; Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre
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National university

#7 Best colleges for criminal justice in Virginia

Shenandoah University

Winchester, VA · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $30,298 a year

Median debt at graduation: $25,000 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In America

In Virginia

Academic Excellence

A-Academic Excellence: A- (grade A-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Excellent · Top 20%
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.67%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.82%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.12 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$12,250

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$24,356
$30,001–$48,000$26,715
$48,001–$75,000$26,635
$75,001–$110,000$30,332
Over $110,000$33,591

Full cost of attendance before aid: $51,928 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
2,590
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 42% · Women 58%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
28%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
42%
Total students4,343
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$30,298
Cost of attendance (per year)$51,928
Median federal debt at graduation$25,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
67%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
59%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
56%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
64%
First-year retention82%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$58,433
Admission rate77%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$30
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,255 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants19%

Value: Solid (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$91,096
Business administration$66,673
Biology$66,070
Kinesiology and exercise science$64,373
Criminal justice$63,290
Psychology$58,144
Physiology and pathology$54,490
Theatre$40,457
Music$30,758

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Applied mathematics, Area studies, Arts management, Chemistry, Communication studies, Computer science, Computing and information science, Dance, Ecology and evolutionary biology, English, Entrepreneurship, Film and video, History, Information technology, Liberal arts, Managerial economics, Mathematics, Natural resources and conservation, Political science, Public administration, Public health, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious Music and Worship, Religious studies, Romance languages, Secondary education, Sociology, Software and media applications, Teacher education, Visual and performing arts.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions26%
Visual and performing arts19%
Biology16%
Business12%
Psychology6%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates3%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older7%
On-campus room and board (per year)$12,490
SportsNCAA Division III · Old Dominion Athletic Conference
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member12 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 10%IPEDS, 2023–24
Faculty who are full-time57%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$22,600IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 50% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline serviceWashington Dulles International Airport (IAD)About 41 miles away · about 1 hour 30 minutes by car
Town population27,913Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreWashingtonAbout 64 miles away · about 1 hour 50 minutes by car
Typical weather33°F in January · 76°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Winchester, VA

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.040.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Shenandoah University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 37% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Shenandoah University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $30,298 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Shenandoah University?
Shenandoah University admitted 77% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Shenandoah University’s graduates do?
67% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $58,433; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,000.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 233541
  • Carnegie classification: Doctoral/professional university
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Religious affiliation (IPEDS): United Methodist
  • Report an error or a newer source
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