Outcomes-based program rankings.
Program outcomes at Shepherd University vary significantly by field of study. These rankings evaluate each program by post-graduation earnings, debt burden, and return on investment — not prestige or reputation.
Use this analysis to compare programs and understand which fields deliver the strongest outcomes.
Analyzing 19 programs with available earnings data.
recent graduates
This bar shows the range of median earnings across all majors at this school.
The tables below compare programs in each category by earnings, rank, debt, and cohort size.
These sections represent the complete set of ranked undergraduate programs at Shepherd University.
Artificial Intelligence. leads engineering & technology with 68K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence. | — | $68,435 | — | 34 |
Program rankings are derived entirely from post-graduation outcomes. We do not use reputation surveys, selectivity metrics, or SAT scores. This means some programs may rank differently than you'd expect based on prestige — and that's intentional.
Median earnings 10 years post-enrollment
Debt burden relative to earnings
Institutional contribution to outcomes
Resources, cohort size, and graduation rates
Trajectory from early to mid-career
Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping. leads business & economics with 55K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping.Small sample | — | $54,656★ | — | 8 |
| Business Administration and Management, General. | — | $53,391 | — | 67 |
Adult Health Nurse/Nursing. leads health with 72K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing. | — | $71,847★ | $25,306 | 73 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General. | — | $39,351 | — | 21 |
Biology, General. leads sciences & mathematics with 35K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, General. | — | $35,416 | — | 26 |
Applied/Public Sociology. leads social sciences & policy with 51K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applied/Public Sociology.Small sample | — | $51,084★ | — | 13 |
| Forensic Social Work. | — | $45,931 | — | 22 |
| Psychology, General.Small sample | — | $42,528 | — | 16 |
| Applied Economics.Small sample | — | $36,674 | — | 8 |
Communication and Media Studies, Other. leads communications with 37K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Communication and Media Studies, Other. | — | $36,731 | — | 25 |
General Studies. leads humanities & arts with 47K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Studies. | — | $46,744★ | — | 85 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation. | — | $39,392 | — | 27 |
| American History (United States).Small sample | — | $34,069 | — | 14 |
| English Language and Literature, General.Small sample | — | $32,058 | — | 17 |
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching. leads education with 44K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching. | — | $44,094 | $34,242 | 67 |
Environmental Science. leads agriculture & environment with 43K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Science. | — | $43,029 | — | 21 |
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies. leads other & interdisciplinary with 45K in median earnings.
| Program | National Rank | Median Earnings | Median Debt | Cohort Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies. | — | $44,875★ | — | 40 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General.Small sample | — | $27,439 | — | 5 |
Why rankings may differ by program: A university's nursing program and business program can have entirely different outcome profiles. Our methodology surfaces these differences so you can evaluate programs — not just institutions.
