Raleigh, NC · Private · 875 undergraduates · urban
Shaw University
Selective
Shaw offers a small historic HBCU experience in downtown Raleigh, with direct access to a fast-growing state-capital economy.
Institutional profile
Regionally focused Solid in academic standing, and solid in mobility.- Admission
- 30.5% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 20.9%
10,699 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$34,409 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Shaw University apart
Academic design
Three schools cover arts, sciences and humanities; business and professional studies; and divinity, with centers focused on racial justice and cybersecurity.
Campus pattern
The urban campus places students near Raleigh government, nonprofits, employers and cultural institutions rather than in an isolated college town.
Career & value signal
As one of the South’s oldest HBCUs, Shaw ties its civil-rights and religious history to present-day work in community leadership and social justice.
Can I get in?
30.5% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
10,699About 30 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Record over scores
No score range is published for the entering class, so the transcript, the course rigor, and the required materials carry the file.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Shaw University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Shaw University weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Three schools cover arts, sciences and humanities; business and professional studies; and divinity, with centers focused on racial justice and cybersecurity.
Make institutional fit specific
Shaw offers a small historic HBCU experience in downtown Raleigh, with direct access to a fast-growing state-capital economy.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
Check eligibility for a fee waiver
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Shaw University
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Communication and Media Studies
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Social Work
What is campus life like?
Shaw University beyond the classroom
The urban campus places students near Raleigh government, nonprofits, employers and cultural institutions rather than in an isolated college town.
A defining academic feature
Three schools cover arts, sciences and humanities; business and professional studies; and divinity, with centers focused on racial justice and cybersecurity.
What shapes an ordinary week
The urban campus places students near Raleigh government, nonprofits, employers and cultural institutions rather than in an isolated college town.
Where the degree can lead
As one of the South’s oldest HBCUs, Shaw ties its civil-rights and religious history to present-day work in community leadership and social justice.