Shaw University
Raleigh, NC · Private · Large city
Private institution in Raleigh, NC · 839 undergraduates · 30% acceptance rate · $34,409 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 7%Acceptance rate
- Top 8%Pell Grant share
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $14,083600th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $17,1761,032nd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $17,176679th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $29,659925th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $32,5001,859th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $34,4091,814th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $26,1481,841st highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 20.3%1,921st highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 56.0%1,686th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 30.5%111th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- —
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 8391,462nd largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 11.0:1619th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 65.1%165th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 135 mi (CLT)
On 2 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 28 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social WorkPublic Administration | bachelors | $34,526 | $32,391 |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $28,236 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $27,822 | $29,866 |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | $25,658 | $20,140 |
| Parks, Recreation and Leisure StudiesParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $23,579 | $23,340 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $21,312 | $21,703 |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $18,771 | — |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | — | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | — | — |
| Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| ChemistryPhysical Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesHealth Professions | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
- A Historically Black College or University (HBCU)source
- Religious affiliation: Baptistsource
- Founded in 1865source
- Athletic nickname: "Bears"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: Whitesource
- Mascot: The Bearsource
- Motto: "Pro Christo Et Humanitate"source
- Campus size: about 65 acressource
- Formerly known as "Raleigh Theological Institute"source
- Formerly known as "(1869–1870)"source
- Formerly known as "Shaw Collegiate Institute"source
- Formerly known as "(1870–1875)"source
- Athletic conference: CIAAsource
- Notable alum: Ida B. Wellssource
- Notable alum: Ella Josephine Bakersource
Athletics — 9 sports + curated flag football
NCAA Division II with football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $2,527,429 (M $1,316,945 · W $1,210,484)
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cross Country
- Football
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field (Outdoor)
- Volleyball
- Flag Football (women’s, curated)
- Basketball: 2012
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport. Women’s flag football is curated (not yet a stable EADA sport filter).
Key links
- Official websiteshawu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 199643)
- Compare colleges in NCRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in North CarolinaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Shaw University vs Lees-McRae CollegeHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Women’s flag football rosterCurated national programs (not yet in EADA filters)
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.