Shaw University
Raleigh, North Carolina · Private Nonprofit · 80.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 4/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Shaw University, a historic HBCU in Raleigh, NC, posts an overall ROI score of 4 out of 100, placing it firmly in our Below Benchmark tier. The headline numbers are unforgiving: a 21.8% completion rate, $25,100 average earnings six years after entry rising to a median of just $34,409 at the ten-year mark, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.295 (graduates owe roughly $32,500 in median federal debt against earnings barely above the high-school baseline). The payback period of 999 years is our internal flag for "earnings never recoup the cost of attendance" - in plain English, the typical Shaw graduate is not projected to break even on tuition spend. Net price is $16,512 against an $17,538 sticker, and the four-year out-of-pocket cost runs about $66,048. The three-year repayment rate is 29.2%: most borrowers are not actively paying down principal three years after leaving school. What the score does not capture is Shaw's mission as the South's oldest HBCU and the qualitative value of that pipeline. The numbers, however, demand candor: completion is the binding constraint here, and students considering Shaw should weigh that risk seriously.
How Shaw University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score4/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.29 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate21.8% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
Shaw University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $17,538/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $17,538/yr |
| Average net price | $16,512/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $66,048 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $34,409 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $25,100 |
| Median debt at graduation | $32,500 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $345 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 21.8% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 875 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $17,538/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $16,512/year, or roughly $66,048 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $16,236/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,966/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $32,500, which works out to about $345 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($25,100) and comes to 1.29, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $16,236 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,276 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $21,145 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | $24,966 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30,000 face a $16,236 net price - only a few hundred dollars below the headline net price. For a household at this income level, that is roughly 54% of pre-tax income for a single year of attendance, and the four-year burden is substantial. Combined with a 21.8% completion rate, the expected-value math for Pell-eligible families is unfavorable unless the student has strong external supports.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-48,000 bracket pays $16,276 (essentially flat with the lowest band), while $48,001-75,000 jumps to $21,145 - a $4,800 step-up that the data does not fully explain. The $75,001-110,000 bracket is unreported in current Scorecard data. Middle-income families should run the school's own net price calculator, because the bracketed averages here are noisy at Shaw's small enrollment scale.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $24,966 net, the highest of the reported brackets. At Shaw's earnings outcomes, paying full or near-full freight from a high-income household yields very weak ROI on a pure financial basis - the school's value proposition for this segment is mission, community, and legacy rather than payback math.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Shaw University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $47,401 | D |
| Communication and Media Studies | $28,545 | F |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $44,010 | F |
| Social Work | $46,981 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $43,299 | F |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $32,241 | F |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration is Shaw's flagship program by graduate count (40) and the only one with a debt-to-earnings ratio under 1.0. First-year earnings of $34,652 rise to $47,401 by year four, which is a real growth curve. Median debt of $34,265 against year-one earnings yields a 0.989 ratio (D grade). For students confident they will complete, Business is the relatively safer bet at Shaw, though the entire portfolio sits in C-D-F territory.
Communication and Media Studies
Communications graduates 21 students annually but posts a 1.489 debt-to-earnings ratio against $42,500 median debt and just $28,545 median earnings four years out - an F grade with no clear path to repayment under standard amortization. The 1-year earnings figure is suppressed (null). Students should treat this major as high-risk at Shaw and probe internship pipelines and Raleigh-area placement networks before enrolling.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice produces 16 graduates with $25,649 first-year earnings and $43,299 by year four - the year-four number is the program's redeeming signal. But $37,500 in median debt drives a 1.462 ratio and an F grade. Students aiming at federal/state corrections or local law enforcement may find earnings rise meaningfully with seniority, but the entry-level math at Shaw is rough.
Social Work
Social Work shows $31,138 first-year earnings and $46,981 by year four - decent growth - but $38,000 in median debt yields a 1.22 ratio (F grade). Social work is a mission-driven, low-paying field everywhere, and the debt load here is poorly matched to the labor market.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology is the weakest performer in the portfolio: $18,987 in year-one earnings, $44,010 by year four, and $30,500 in median debt produce a 1.606 ratio and an F grade. The four-year earnings recovery suggests many graduates pursue further training (PT, OT, education), so the major may function as a pre-professional stepping stone rather than a terminal credential.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 19.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 29.2% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 21.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 27.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Shaw University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 80.2% |
| Enrollment | 875 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 66.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,041 |
Shaw admits 80.2% of applicants, an open-access posture consistent with its access-mission identity. Standardized test scores (SAT and ACT) are not reported in the current Scorecard data, which is common at HBCUs that have moved test-optional. The high admit rate combined with a 21.8% six-year completion rate signals that academic support and persistence - not gatekeeping at the front door - are where outcomes are decided here.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shaw University (this school) | 4 | $16,512 | $34,409 |
| Alabama State University | 5 | $20,435 | $34,502 |
| Livingstone College | 4 | $13,479 | $32,600 |
| Central State University | 4 | $13,096 | $33,267 |
| Benedict College | 4 | $18,250 | $31,902 |
| Jarvis Christian University | 4 | $9,825 | $32,992 |
Who Thrives Here
Shaw's enrollment of 875 makes it a small, residential community, and the 66.4% Pell grant rate confirms it serves a heavily low-income student body - a population for whom the institutional mission, mentorship, and HBCU network often matter as much as the raw ROI number. Students who thrive here typically want a faith-rooted, historically Black community in the Raleigh-Durham corridor and arrive academically prepared to push through the completion bottleneck. Students who need rigorous academic support to finish should evaluate persistence resources carefully before committing.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Shaw University scores 4/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $16,512 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $34,409 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 21.8% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.29 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 29.2% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $32,500 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $25,100 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.29. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Shaw University: Common Questions
Is Shaw University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Shaw University scores 4/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $16,512 a year after aid against $34,409 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Shaw University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $16,512 a year, or roughly $66,048 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Shaw University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $34,409 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Shaw University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for Shaw University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Shaw University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $32,500, against average earnings of $25,100 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.29. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Shaw University?
The six-year graduation rate is 21.8%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.