More selective than 45% of North Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $49,516. College Scorecard.
Higher than 46% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 37% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 65% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 37% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Catawba College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 2,547 applicants, Catawba College admitted 1,979 and 308 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1030–1300 on the SAT or 17–25 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Catawba College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Catawba College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Catawba College took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in North Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $13,618 | $56,379 | 3.7 years |
| $30–48k | $17,495 | $72,429 | 4.7 years |
| $48–75k | $15,412 | $63,806 | 4.2 years |
| $75–110k | $17,440 | $72,202 | 4.7 years |
| $110k+ | $24,420 | $101,099 | 6.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (45% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($48,793) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,277 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Catawba College majors, earnings & careers
Catawba College offers 36 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Science & Math · 6
- Business & Finance · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Catawba College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $60,718 | $26,000 |
| Biology | $52,583 | $25,931 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $48,982 | $20,655 |
| Communications | $48,181 | $26,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $44,296 | $26,703 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $42,505 | $25,794 |
| Music | $39,633 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 36 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$52,583
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$60,718
- Chemistry—
- Communications$48,181
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,982
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$42,505
- History—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$44,296
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music$39,633
- Nursing—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Theatre—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Charlotte
Overall prices in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,262. Housing costs 2% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 2 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Rowan County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Rowan County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Catawba College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in North Carolina by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catawba College | 75% | $17,879 | 47% | $48,793 | This school |
| Belmont Abbey College | 75% | $24,639 | 47% | $47,937 | |
| Methodist University | 75% | $24,704 | 44% | $48,050 | |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 80% | $27,426 | 49% | $43,418 | |
| University of Mount Olive | 76% | $18,853 | 52% | $47,139 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Catawba College would cost you $6,760 less per year than Belmont Abbey College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Catawba College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$14,800).
- Catawba College gives aided families $21,488 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | Catawba College | BAC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $34,300 | $19,500 | +$14,800 |
| Books & supplies | $1,400 | $1,700 | −$300 |
| Housing & meals | $12,550 | $12,056 | +$494 |
| Personal & travel | $3,449 | $2,900 | +$549 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,183 | −$1,368 | −$815 |
| Sticker price | $49,516 | $34,788 | +$14,728 |
| Average grants | −$31,637 | −$10,149 | −$21,488 |
| You pay | $17,879 | $24,639 | −$6,760 |
“+” means Catawba College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Catawba College
What is the Catawba College acceptance rate?
Catawba College accepts 75% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,979 of 2,547 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1030–1300 on the SAT or 17–25 on the ACT.
How much does Catawba College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $49,516 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $17,879 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $13,618 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,420.
How much do Catawba College graduates earn?
Former Catawba College students earn a median $48,793 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Catawba College graduation rate?
47% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.
How long does a Catawba College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Catawba College costs about $63,806 after grants ($15,412 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $48,793 ten years after starting, $15,277 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 4.2 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Catawba College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/catawba-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).