Shepherd University is a coeducational public university located in Shepherdstown in West Virginia.
Established in 1871 in a vacated courthouse, the university expanded slowly and became a four-year teacher training college in 1930. Over the years the number of study fields gradually increased and today the four academic schools – the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the School of Education and Professional Studies, the School of Business and Social Sciences, and the School of Arts and Humanities – together have a huge range of degree programs available.
The university is located on a 325-acre rural campus in the Shenandoah Valley in Shepherdstown, which is the oldest town in the state, which provides Shepherd University students with a friendly, safe learning environment.
Around a third of the university students choose to live in university-affiliated accommodation, while the majority live in the local area. The Shenandoah Valley is home to several national parks and hiking and biking trails, while the university is a short distance from cities including Washington DC and Baltimore.
The university sports teams are known as the Rams and compete in the NCAA Division II, with big sporting events held in the 5,000-seat Ram Stadium.
Notable former students include CNN political commentator Matt K. Lewis, former Montana House of Representatives member Franke Wilmer, and former Miss West Virginia Tiffany Lawrence.
