The 2019 fall semester is here, and it’s an exciting time to be part of Shenandoah University.
Largest Incoming Classes
This semester, the university welcomed its largest freshman class ever, with about 500 students, and its second-largest graduate class, with more than 680 students.
The average first-year retention rate is 81 percent — higher than the national average.
High-Ranking Health Care Programs
Shenandoah’s Physician Assistant Studies graduate program hit high marks with its ranking of 21st in the country, which is tied with Stanford University, according to the 2020 Best Graduate Schools Rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
The university’s Master of Science in Nurse-Midwifery ranked as the nation’s 24th best.
ODAC Champions
The ODAC champion Shenandoah University women’s basketball team has the nation’s highest Division III team GPA in results announced in July by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association. The team, which won its first-ever ODAC championship in February 2019, posted a 3.764 GPA for the 2018-19 academic year to top Vassar College by .001.
The baseball team also scored back-to-back ODAC championships with its 5-4 win over top-seeded Randolph-Macon on May 11. The Hornets followed up with a win at the Union Regional Division III tournament.
Small Class Sizes
As always, Shenandoah emphasizes small class size (66% of classes at Shenandoah have fewer than 20 students and only 2% of classes have 50 or more students) and a low student-to-teacher ratio (10:1).
200+ Areas of Study
Shenandoah University is offering nearly 40 new areas of study this year, including an MBA Global Executive Track being offered in China, a Population Health Graduate Certificate, a Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis, a Bachelor of Arts in Recording and Audio Arts, a Doctor of Occupational Therapy, and a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Virtual Reality Design.
The university now has more than 200 areas of study.
New Esports Arena
The university’s new esports arena is currently under construction in a remodeled space in the former National Guard armory building on the main campus. The facility will not only accommodate the students in the school’s new Bachelor of Science in Esports, but it will also serve as a venue for high school events.
Health Professions Exam Pass Rates Higher than National Averages
Shenandoah health professions students boast impressive professional exam performances:
- 93.5% pass rate: 2018 National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) average for Shenandoah nursing graduates (significantly higher than national average)
- 100%: 2018 Board of Certification exam first-time pass rate for Shenandoah University Master of Science in Athletic Training graduates
- 94%: 2018 first-time pass rate for the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) for Shenandoah University Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies program graduates
- 100%: pass rate for the National Board of Certification in Occupational Therapy exam for 2018 graduates of Shenandoah’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program
- 100%: pass rate for the National Physical Therapy Examination for Shenandoah University Doctor of Physical Therapy program 2018 graduates. (The 2018 national pass rate was 98.3%.)
- 90.8%: Pharmacy Class of 2018 exceeds national first-time NAPLEX pass rate. The national first-time pass rate is 89.5%
Exciting SU News from the Past Year
- 92 percent of recent graduates have a positive career outcome (employed, enrolled in additional education or military or volunteer service)
- Average admitted GPA of 3.52 for the class of 2023
- Surveyed recent graduates have a median salary of $55,000 within six months of graduation
- Shenandoah’s improv team, The Loaf, won the 2019 National College Improv Tournament.
- In 2018-2019, 295 students participated in Global Experiential Learning trips, including ones to Switzerland, Morocco, England, and on physical therapy and music therapy-based trips to Belize and Guatemala.
- Shenandoah is included in The Princeton Review’s 2018 “Guide to 399 Green Colleges.”
- Former musical theatre student Roman Banks became the first person of color to play the title role in the Broadway smash “Dear Evan Hansen” in December 2018.
