Catawba College Environmental Science / Conservation: earnings, debt & careers

Environmental Science / Conservation graduates of Catawba College earn a median $42,505 four years after graduating ($27,389 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $25,794. That is $12,461 below the U.S. median for Environmental Science / Conservation graduates ($54,966 across 260 colleges), and ranks 9th of 10 North Carolina colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$42,505

U.S. median for this major: $54,966.

College Scorecard field of study; 20 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$27,389

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$25,794

About 61% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,875.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$17,879 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $49,516. College Scorecard.

Catawba College Environmental Science / Conservation: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Catawba College graduates$42,505
North Carolina median (10 colleges)$46,522 (−$4,017)
U.S. median (260 colleges)$54,966 (−$12,461)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Environmental Science / Conservation nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Catawba College's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$13,618$56,3796.3 years
$30–48k$17,495$72,4298.1 years
$48–75k$15,412$63,8067.1 years
$75–110k$17,440$72,2028.0 years
$110k+$24,420$101,09911.2 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 Environmental Science / Conservation graduates 4 years after graduating ($42,505) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $8,989 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Environmental Science / Conservation at North Carolina colleges

Every North Carolina college we cover that reports Environmental Science / Conservation graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Duke University$73,435$11,875$29,61297%
2University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill$65,337$12,044$11,65591%
3University of North Carolina at Pembroke$49,806—$10,26044%
4North Carolina State University at Raleigh$46,772$21,500$17,30385%
5University of North Carolina Wilmington$46,527$22,309$20,10971%
6University of North Carolina Asheville$46,518$22,880$12,25054%
7Appalachian State University$46,207$23,125$16,83675%
8Warren Wilson College$43,793—$21,24942%
9Catawba College$42,505$25,794$17,87947%
10Western Carolina University$40,831—$13,31560%

17 more North Carolina colleges offer Environmental Science / Conservation but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Environmental Science / Conservation graduates

Environmental scientist

Charlotte area$72,730
North Carolina$74,130
U.S.$82,220

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Compliance Officers

Charlotte area$86,720
North Carolina$78,500
U.S.$80,730

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Conservation Scientists

Charlotte area$50,300
North Carolina$64,460
U.S.$73,010

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.3% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at Catawba College, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Catawba College

Catawba College Environmental Science / Conservation questions

How much do Catawba College Environmental Science / Conservation graduates earn?

Environmental Science / Conservation graduates of Catawba College earn a median $42,505 four years after graduating and $27,389 one year after. The U.S. median for Environmental Science / Conservation graduates across 260 colleges is $54,966.

How much debt do Catawba College Environmental Science / Conservation graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Environmental Science / Conservation graduates of Catawba College is $25,794, about 61% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,875.

Is Catawba College a good school for Environmental Science / Conservation in North Carolina?

On pay, Environmental Science / Conservation graduates of Catawba College earn $42,505 four years out, $4,017 below the median for the same major across 10 North Carolina colleges ($46,522) and $12,461 below the U.S. median ($54,966). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Catawba College rank for Environmental Science / Conservation in North Carolina?

Of 10 North Carolina colleges reporting Environmental Science / Conservation graduate earnings, Catawba College ranks 9th. The highest is Duke University at $73,435.

What jobs do Environmental Science / Conservation graduates get?

A common career is environmental scientist, with a median wage of $72,730 in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area and $82,220 nationally. Others include compliance officers and conservation scientists.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “Catawba College Environmental Science / Conservation: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/catawba-college/majors/environmental-science-conservation (College Scorecard and BLS data).