Public Graduate Good 68/100

Shawnee State University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Portsmouth, Ohio

About Shawnee State University

Thinking about Shawnee State University, a college in Ohio where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Shawnee State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Portsmouth, Ohio. It enrolls 2,247 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
—
Graduation
33.5%
Net Price
$14,381
Median Earnings (10yr)
$39,596
Enrollment
2,247
Student : Faculty
16:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Open / Online), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
68/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 69
Value 42
Affordability 47
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Shawnee State University does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $14,381 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$14,381
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
39%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
39%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees (in-state)
$10,626
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$17,358
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,502
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,892
Books & Supplies
$1,024
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,340
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,840
Total Cost of Attendance
$21,974

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $12,310
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $11,956
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $14,326
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $16,787
  • Over $110,000
    $18,754

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,750
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$23,000
Median percentile
$24,500
75% percentile
$36,500
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $14,250 ↓ $8,750
No Pell $11,000 ↓ $12,000
Dependent students $12,000 ↓ $11,000
Independent students $16,850 ↓ $6,150
Female students $12,500 ↓ $10,500
Male students $13,000 ↓ $10,000
Pell recipients: 17.9% (4,117 students)No Pell: 13.8% (3,178 students)Dependent students: 15.1% (3,467 students)Independent students: 21.2% (4,869 students)Female students: 15.7% (3,612 students)Male students: 16.3% (3,756 students)Overall Median$23,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,750, less than completers ($23,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

33% of students who start here finish within six years, and 72% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
33%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
72%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $39,596 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$39,596
Earning > $25K
65%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$34,000$36,000$37,000$39,000$40,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$33,100

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$42,900

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$33,100

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$37,600

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$45,300

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $9,800, about 23% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 18.0 pts across 6 years
57.5%1yr63.1%3yr67%5yr75.5%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 76% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,247 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 43% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
2,247
Part-Time
14%
First-Generation
43%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 70.7% 1,588
Black 3.9% 87
Other 3.2% 71
International 2.6% 59
Asian 0.7% 15
Hispanic 0.2% 5
White: 70.7% (1,588 students)Black: 3.9% (87 students)Other: 3.2% (71 students)International: 2.6% (59 students)Asian: 0.7% (15 students)Hispanic: 0.2% (5 students)Total2,247

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Shawnee State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Distant Portsmouth, Ohio
Housing
Partly residential 878 beds available
Adult Learners
11% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Shawnee State University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 51 distinct programs across 19 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

11 Programs
5 Programs
3 Programs
2 Programs
4 Programs
3 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 16 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
16:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$8,976
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$20M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$66,057
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

116 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 32 28% $81,332
Associate Professors 52 45% $63,749
Assistant Professors 28 24% $56,070
Instructors 4 3% $43,778

Pros & Cons of Shawnee State University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Shawnee State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side

Frequently Asked Questions about Shawnee State University

The questions families ask most about Shawnee State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Shawnee State University cost?
Budget around $14,381 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Shawnee State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $39,596 a year against a net price of $14,381, about 2.8 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Shawnee State University known for?
Mostly Health Administration, Medical Assisting, Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Shawnee State University graduates earn?
About $39,596 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Shawnee State University accredited?
Yes. Shawnee State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Shawnee State University?
2,247 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Shawnee State University?
33% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Shawnee State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Shawnee State University located?
Shawnee State University is located in Portsmouth, Ohio.
What programs does Shawnee State University offer?
51 different programs, most commonly Health Administration, Medical Assisting, Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Shawnee State University?
16 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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