Shenandoah University began its 2026 Spring Term propelled by an abundantly successful fall term that saw the university introduce an array of new programs, continue its 150th anniversary celebrations and shatter records.

Spring Term Starts Strong

To begin the 2026 Spring Term, Newsweek magazine has ranked Shenandoah one of the top three colleges for women in Virginia! And, the online master’s in applied cybersecurity is ranked #2 in Virginia by onlinecybersecurity.org

The university’s 150th anniversary celebrations will also culminate this spring, with events including a special Founders’ Day on Feb. 12, in Stimpson Auditorium in Halpin-Harrison Hall, featuring the unveiling of a generous donation of 231 Shenandoah Valley oil paintings by renowned artist Andrei Kushnir. 

Off campus, Shenandoah Conservatory’s musical theatre program’s Amanda Reid ’27, and alumna Kelsee Kimmel ’16 are continuing their runs as principal cast members in the Broadway musical “Hell’s Kitchen,” through the show’s Feb. 22 closing, and Miguel Gil ’26 is preparing for the March opening of the Broadway production of “The Lost Boys: The Musical,” based on the 1987 film of the same name; he plays vampire hunter Edgar Frog. 

It should be unsurprising that Shenandoah’s spring is already looking great, considering how the academic year kicked off.

A Record-Setting Fall

Enrollment eclipsed past numbers with a student body of 4,483 for the fall term. Also, the number of students in university housing reached approximately 1,300 for the first time. This record-setting group had seven new programs available to it as well: master’s degrees in music therapy and professional counseling and school counseling; bachelor’s degrees in animal health and science, animal health and welfare, and art and design; and a minor in graphic art and digital design. Ph.D. and Ed.D. students in educational leadership can now focus on higher education as part of their doctoral studies.

Several graduate programs are available fully online, including our MBA with concentrations in digital marketing, business analytics, healthcare management, cybersecurity management, and esports management (the university still offers a hybrid in-person/online MBA, too); and master’s degrees in cybersecurity, organizational leadership, and public health. (Our cybersecurity master’s is ranked second in Virginia by onlinecybersecurity.org.) 

Shenandoah also welcomed its first Greek life organizations to campus this fall – the Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and the Phi Kappa Tau and Sigma Nu fraternities, all of which are dedicated to community service and philanthropy. 

Celebrating a Shining Sesquicentennial

Bigger and better than ever, Shenandoah marked its sesquicentennial with not only a gala event, but also by announcing the public phase of its $100 million Shine campaign celebrating the university’s past and positioning it for a glowing future. More than $94 million has already been committed to the effort. 

The sesquicentennial also included the recent premiere of “Shenandoah Carols,” a work specially commissioned by John Lewis for his wife Marjorie, both longtime university supporters. The piece, written for choir and chamber orchestra by esteemed American composer and Shenandoah alumnus Joel Puckett ’99 (Bachelor of Music in Composition) was performed by the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra and the Conservatory Choir. 

Homecoming kicked off with the dedication of 10 historical markers that tell the story of Shenandoah’s 150 years, made possible through a generous gift from the James R. Wilkins Charitable Trust and the work of the university’s History Department, led by Jonathan Noyalas ’01, M.A., the Hugh and Virginia McCormick Chair in Civil War History and director of the university’s McCormick Civil War Institute.

National and International Attention

Shenandoah hit the big screen again as “Miss Valentine,” Shenandoah’s third co-production with Capital Arts Entertainment and its fourth feature, in which students worked alongside industry pros, began streaming on Xumo in October.

Shenandoah’s women’s basketball team earned its first-ever Top 25 national ranking in late December 2025, entering at No. 24 in the D3hoops.com poll. A four-year team alumna also made an impact academically this year. Zoe Star ’24, ’26, who has bachelor’s degrees in biology and public health from Shenandoah, presented at the 16th Annual International Academy of Physician Associate Educators Conference in Pretoria, South Africa, as part of the ongoing research she’s conducting as a second-year student.

Excellent Career Outcomes

Shenandoah’s Class of 2025 graduates reported a median salary of $75,000, and 96% of our 2025 graduates are working, pursuing an additional degree, or serving in the military.  A whopping 72% percent of graduates landed their first job in the Mid-Atlantic region, and SU is so pleased that they will be living and working close enough to come back to visit their alma mater. Shenandoah’s Class of 2024 reported 91% of graduates employed or in graduate school or in the military, which beats the national average of 86.5% for that year by 9.5%

We can only imagine more great things in store for Shenandoah’s spring! Keep up with us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, and at su.edu.