Quad

Head-to-head

North Central
Shenandoah

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    North Central's grants cover 57% of its full price on average, vs. 48% at Shenandoah

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    North Central has 5 pts more Pell recipients than Shenandoah (24% vs. 19%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  3. 3

    Shenandoah's yield is 3 pts higher than North Central's

    Yield rate
  4. 4

    North Central graduates 3 pts more of its students than Shenandoah (69% vs. 66%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    North Central is a bit larger (2,428 vs. 2,116)

    Undergrads
  6. 6

    North Central costs about $1.3K less per year on average than Shenandoah ($25,906 vs. $27,181, all students)

    Average cost, all students

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Shenandoah admits 77%, North Central 77%; Shenandoah's yield is higher, at 17%.

Acceptance rate
North Central77%
Shenandoah77%
Quad's selectivity
  • North CentralAccessible
  • ShenandoahAccessible
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
North Central
1055–1310
ShenandoahTest-blind
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • North CentralGPA and school record required
  • ShenandoahGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

North Central is a bit larger than Shenandoah (2,428 vs. 2,116 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
North Central2.4K
Shenandoah2.1K
Pell Grant share
North Central24%
Shenandoah19%

Majors and faculty

Psychology leads at North Central, and Business Administration and Management at Shenandoah; both have 12 students per faculty member.

Students per faculty member
North Central12 to 1
Shenandoah12 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • North CentralPsychology, General10%
  • ShenandoahBusiness Administration and Management, General19%

What each costs

North Central costs about $1.3K less a year than Shenandoah on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
North Central$25.9K
Shenandoah$27.2K
Aid generosity
North Central57%
Shenandoah48%

What each pays off

North Central's former students earn more, a median $60.1K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
North Central$60.1K
Shenandoah$58.4K
Graduation rate
North Central69%
Shenandoah66%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Shenandoah but fell at North Central; Shenandoah got more selective while North Central got less.

Applications, 10-year change
  • North CentralShrinking−21%
  • ShenandoahGrowing+120%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why