Shenandoah Programs Receive Top Rankings
Shenandoah’s Physician Assistant Studies program is ranked tops in Virginia and 20th in the nation by U.S. News & World Report for 2023.
Shenandoah’s Nurse-Midwifery program is tops in Virginia and 30th in the nation according to rankings by U.S. News & World Report.
Shenandoah Conservatory’s Music programs are ranked first in Virginia and 38th in the nation by Niche.com for 2024.
Understanding the methodology
“The Best Colleges for Music ranking is based on key statistics and student reviews using data from the U.S. Department of Education. The ranking compares the top music schools and performing arts colleges in the U.S.”
The Shenandoah’s Master’s in Music Education is No. 1 in the nation according to Intelligent.com
Our Research
Our list contains on-campus, online, and blended master’s degrees. Music professionals are often busy and juggle various forms of employment, including teaching and gig work. Online and blended master’s degrees offer the flexibility that musicians need, and many of the nation’s best universities have adopted this modern format.
While regional accreditation is important when considering a university’s master’s in music, accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) is also valuable. This organization was founded in 1924 and is made up of 639 universities and colleges. Institutions with this accreditation have passed NASM’s vigorous review to ensure students are receiving a high-quality experience.
We evaluated each program on the basis of flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost, and reputation. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score for each program on a scale from 0 to 100. For a more extensive explanation, check out Our Ranking Methodology.
CollegeFactual.com ranks Shenandoah’s Master of Music Therapy program the best master of music therapy degree program in the nation!
When you are making music with somebody else, you can’t explain what happens in that moment, but it’s a different connection you can’t make in any other way, and it’s a powerful connection.”
– Sara Woodward ’14 ’19
Shenandoah University is one of the best schools in the Southeast for getting a master’s degree in rehabilitation and therapeutic professions as rated by CollegeFactual.com
Graduates who receive their master’s degree from Shenandoah make an average of $65,799 a year during the early days of their career. That’s an earnings boost of about $9,397 above the typical income of rehabilitation & therapeutic professions graduates.
Therapeutic graduate degrees at SU include Music Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy.
Shenandoah’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre is ranked #1 in the Southeast by CollegeFactual.com.
Shenandoah University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor’s degree in musical theater.”
About College Factual
College Factual’s mission is to help all students find a college and career they love, so they can enjoy their education and graduate with less debt and an exciting plan for their future. Located in Troy, NY, College Factual makes use of public and private data sources to publish thousands of unique data insights on every college and university in the United States.
Learn more about College Factual
How The Top Schools Were Determined
College Factual’s rankings were created with objective, outcomes-based data. They were designed with student success in mind to reward colleges that are offering an excellent education proven by student success.
Read the Ranking Methodology
Shenandoah University’s Sports Studies programs are ranked number 2 in the nation for 2024 by CollegeFactual.com.
The Shenandoah’s Master’s in Music Programs are No. 2 in the nation according to Intelligent.com
Shenandoah’s Master’s in Athletic Training is the No. 2 Athletic Training master’s degree in the Southeast, according to CollegeFactual.com
College Gazette ranks Shenandoah’s Music Therapy programs among the top 10 in the U.S.!
At Shenandoah, music therapy students receive a multidisciplinary, dynamic education that has the potential to take them across the world.
Options abound. Students can take classes in a virtual reality lab; work in teams of nursing, pharmacy, and occupational therapy students in the interprofessional education program; complete a clinical placement at INOVA hospital; or travel abroad to the World Congress of Music Therapy.
Shenandoah made the list of OnlineU.com’s 2023 Best Pharmacy Degrees Online !
Their 2023 rankings web page states:
(SU’s) programs are tailored to students who are beginning their pharmacy careers or licensed pharmacists who want to advance their expertise.”
Shenandoah’s Eleanor Wade Custer School of Nursing was ranked #7 by Nursing Schools Almanac in their list of top Virginia nursing schools!
The university offers a breadth of nursing pathways including a traditional BSN, an accelerated BSN, a Veteran-to-BSN bridge program, four MSN specializations, the corresponding post-graduate certificates, and a DNP curriculum with both BSN and MSN entry points. Across its two campuses in Winchester and Ashburn, Shenandoah University produces 100-150 prelicensure BSN graduates annually.
Silver Military Friendly® School designation
Shenandoah has earned a Silver Military Friendly® School designation from Viqtory.
Receiving Silver recognition from Military Times- Military Friendly Schools survey exemplifies the dedication and support our military affiliated students receive here at Shenandoah University. Our services and military population have increased significantly over the last 10 years and we are excited to keep that momentum going with the revitalization of our National Guard Armory and its transformation to the Hub for Innovators, Veterans and Entrepreneurs (HIVE)! “
– Niccole S. Gatliff, Associate Registrar: Veterans and Technology
Shenandoah ranked #2 on the 2024 Best Value Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions Graduate Certificate Schools in the Southeast Region list!
The excellent graduate certificate programs at Shenandoah University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value rehabilitation and therapeutic professions schools in the Southeast Region.”
Shenandoah University is one of the best schools in the Southeast for getting a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management as rated by CollegeFactual.com
I love sports and was very interested in learning the business aspect. I knew that Sport Management was going to be my major when I was admitted. My favorite thing about being a Shenandoah student is how the professors get you ready for the real world and how the faculty cares about the students.”
– Miles Moore ’23
Winchester is home to Shenandoah University Main Campus.
You know, the type of places where there’s energy and stimulation, but the type of place you can walk around at night. The happiest, chillest, most downright fun places where you can send your kids off to college where you won’t break the bank, or worry about their well being.
–CollegeSnacks “The 10 Best College Towns In Virginia For 2023”
Shenandoah ranked #3 as the Best Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region.
Therapeutic doctoral degrees at SU include Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy.
Shenandoah ranked #3 for Best Physical Education Teaching & Coaching Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia
Shenandoah’s PhyEd/Coaching program excels, according to CollegeFactual.com.
Shenandoah ranked #5 as the Best Physical Therapy/Therapist Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region.
Shenandoah’s Doctor Of Physical Therapy is a great program choice, according to CollegeFactual.com.
Shenandoah’s Nontraditional Doctor Of Pharmacy Online Program is ranked 4th in the nation by CollegeAffordabilityGuide.org.
Understanding the methodology
We look at the fundamentals first: not-for-profit status, at least 500 total students, Associate or higher degrees, and at least one non-standard way for students to earn college credits, such as AP or ROTC credit. We also require that at least 20% of students be Pell Grant recipients.”
Read more at collegeaffordabilityguide.org
Shenandoah’s online Transitional Doctor of Physical Therapy program is ranked #5 Best Online Doctorate in Physical Therapy Programs, according to Intelligent.com.
Shenandoah ranked #4 as the Best Education Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia.
Shenandoah’s undergraduate education programs are tops, according to CollegeFactual.com.
Shenandoah’s Athletic Training Master’s Degree Schools is ranked 13th in the nation by CollegeFactual.com.
Athletic Training is part of Shenandoah’s School Of Health Professions.
Shenandoah’s Health Professions Master’s Degrees are ranked No. 14 in the Southeast Region by CollegeFactual.com
College Factual’s rankings were created with objective, outcomes-based data. They were designed with student success in mind to reward colleges that are offering an excellent education proven by student success.
Gold-Level Campus
Shenandoah is recognized by Exercise is Medicine as a Gold campus in 2023 for its efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus.
Understanding the methodology
Programs such as the Exercise is Medicine On Campus (EIM-OC ) Month Challenge, Vital Signs Assessment and Referral, and SUFiT training all helped Shenandoah earn Gold-level designation. Shenandoah also earned EIM’s COVID Conqueror badge, a new honor given to campuses that demonstrated creative adaptations to physical activity programming during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A+ For B Students
If you’re a good student with less-than-stellar test scores or a so-so GPA, these are the schools for you. These colleges, which have strong ratings in the 2022 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, accept a significant number of students with nonstratospheric transcripts.