Washington Adventist University vs. Shaw University

Washington Adventist University vs. Shaw University comparison

	Washington Adventist University	Shaw University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Washington Adventist University	Shaw University
Location	Takoma Park, MD	Raleigh, NC
Setting	Large Suburban	Large City
Enrollment	671	1,067
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation	Seventh Day Adventists	Baptist	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	wau.edu	shawu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Washington Adventist University	Shaw University
Tuition (In State)	$23,400	$11,808
Tuition (Out of State)	$23,400	$11,808
Room & Board	$10,440	$8,514
Avg Net Price	$17,088	$14,204
Avg Grant Aid	$15,534	$15,548
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	87%

Admission	Washington Adventist University	Shaw University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,223	2,435
Admitted	629	1,486
Acceptance Rate	51.4%Open	61%
Enrolled %	9.4%Open	13.5%
Avg High School GPA	3.24	2.6
Typical High School Grades	B	C+
Admissions Standards	Unavailable	Unavailable
Applicant Competition	Low	Low
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline	Aug 1, 2025	Jul 30, 2025

Academics	Washington Adventist University	Shaw University
Student to Faculty Ratio	6:1	12:1
Popular Majors	Health Professions (45%) Business (13%) Psychology (12%) Education (11%) Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)	Business (27%) Human Services (14%) Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%) Social Sciences (8%) Psychology (7%)
Outcomes	Washington Adventist University	Shaw University
Graduation Rate	27%	27%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$47,900	$29,000
Making Student Loan Payments	39%	15%
Median Student Loan Debt	$26,039	$38,000
Median Loan Payment	$269	$392

Diversity	Washington Adventist University	Shaw University
% Men	35%	47%
% Women	65%	53%
Racial Diversity	Very High	High
HBCU	No	Yes
% White	16%	1%
% Black	49%	58%
% Hispanic	11%	0%
% Native American	1%	0%
% Pacific Islander	1%	0%
% Two or More Races	1%	0%
% International	2%	2%
% Unknown Race	13%	39%

Students	Washington Adventist University	Shaw University
% In-State	56%	55%
% Out-of-State	44%	34%
Campus	Washington Adventist University	Shaw University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	Yes
Daycare Facility	No	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Shaw University is larger than than Washington Adventist University based on total student enrollment (1,067 students vs. 671 students)

Washington Adventist University vs. Shaw University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Washington Adventist University or Shaw University?

• Washington Adventist University is 98.2% more expensive to attend than Shaw University for in-state tuition ($23,400.00 vs. $11,808.00)
• Out of state tuition is 98.2% higher at Washington Adventist University than Shaw University ($23,400.00 vs. $11,808.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Shaw University than Washington Adventist University ($14,204 vs. $17,088)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shaw University are 22.6% lower than costs at Washington Adventist University ($8,514 vs. $10,440)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Washington Adventist University than Shaw University (100% vs. 87%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Shaw University students is 0.1% larger than aid received Washington Adventist University ($15,548 vs. $15,534)

Washington Adventist University vs. Shaw University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Washington Adventist University or Shaw University? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Shaw University or Washington Adventist University .

• Accepted freshman Washington Adventist University students have a 0.64 point higher average high school GPA (3.24) than students at Shaw University (2.6)
• Shaw University has a higher acceptance rate (61%) than Washington Adventist University (51.4%)

Washington Adventist University vs. Shaw University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Washington Adventist University or Shaw University? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Shaw University and Washington Adventist University.

• The graduation rate at Washington Adventist University is the same as at Shaw University (27% vs. 27%)
• Graduates from Washington Adventist University earn on average $18,900 more per year than Shaw University graduates after ten years. ($47,900 vs. $29,000)
• Washington Adventist University students graduate with a $11,961 lower median federal student loan debt than Shaw University graduates. ($26,039 vs. $38,000)
• Washington Adventist University graduates are paying $123 less per month on federal student loans than Shaw University graduates. ($269 vs. $392)
• More Washington Adventist University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Shaw University students, three years after graduation. (39% vs. 15%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/