Match #1
Livingstone College
Salisbury, NC
Profile closeness86/100
Admit rate59%
- 924 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Midsize
- Graduation rate 20%, close to 20%
- Enrollment 924 students, close to 875
The colleges most similar to Shaw University are Livingstone College, Johnson C Smith University, and Bennett College. Shaw University admits 80% of applicants and has an average net price of $24,242 a year; 8 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 2 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Shaw University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Shaw University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Johnson C Smith University
Charlotte, NC
Profile closeness70/100
Admit rate45%
- 1,244 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Enrollment 1,244 students, close to 875
- Average net price $21,397, close to $24,242
Match #3
Bennett College
Greensboro, NC
Profile closeness57/100
Admit rate51%
- 178 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #4
Saint Augustine's University
Raleigh, NC
Profile closeness48/100
Admit rate34%
- 172 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 16%, close to 20%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #5
Morris College
Sumter, SC
Profile closeness77/100
Admit rate—
- 383 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 22%, close to 20%
- Average net price $22,920, close to $24,242
Match #6
Virginia Union University
Richmond, VA
Profile closeness77/100
Admit rate98%
- 1,203 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Midsize
- Enrollment 1,203 students, close to 875
- Same control type (private nonprofit)
Match #7
Allen University
Columbia, SC
Profile closeness76/100
Admit rate73%
- 576 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Midsize
- Graduation rate 25%, close to 20%
- Acceptance rate 73%, close to 80%
Match #8
Lane College-Tennessee
Jackson, TN
Profile closeness72/100
Admit rate—
- 736 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 18%, close to 20%
- Enrollment 736 students, close to 875
Match #9
Le Moyne-Owen College-Tennessee
Memphis, TN
Profile closeness71/100
Admit rate99%
- 581 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 24%, close to 20%
- Enrollment 581 students, close to 875
Match #10
Voorhees College
Denmark, SC
Profile closeness70/100
Admit rate—
- 440 students
- Private nonprofit
- Town: Distant
- Graduation rate 25%, close to 20%
- Same Carnegie classification
Questions about Shaw University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Shaw University?
The closest matches to Shaw University are Livingstone College, Johnson C Smith University, Bennett College, Saint Augustine's University, and Morris College. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Shaw University hard to get into?
Shaw University admitted 80% of its 2,435 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 2 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Shaw University alternatives cost less?
8 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Shaw University ($24,242 a year), including Saint Augustine's University ($6,042), Le Moyne-Owen College-Tennessee ($6,993), and Lane College-Tennessee ($12,660). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
