More selective than 36% 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 $47,091. College Scorecard.
Higher than 59% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 53% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 59% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 35% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
GWU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,670 applicants, Gardner-Webb University admitted 4,064 and 411 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 975–1198 on the SAT or 19–25 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
GWU 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 GWU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Gardner-Webb University took 5.1 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 | $15,304 | $77,591 | 5.3 years |
| $30–48k | $14,594 | $73,992 | 5.1 years |
| $48–75k | $13,769 | $69,809 | 4.8 years |
| $75–110k | $15,946 | $80,846 | 5.6 years |
| $110k+ | $22,438 | $113,761 | 7.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 5.1 years, the average time graduates took (6% 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 ($48,039) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,523 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.
GWU majors, earnings & careers
Gardner-Webb University offers 39 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Business & Finance · 6
- Arts & Design · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at GWU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $75,117 | $24,922 |
| Computer Science | $68,175 | — |
| Business Administration | $61,489 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $58,918 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $58,061 | — |
| Criminal Justice | $51,709 | $25,000 |
| Psychology | $49,587 | $22,466 |
| Biology | $48,505 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 39 majors
- Accounting$58,918
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- American Sign Language—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biology$48,505
- Business Administration$61,489
- Chemistry—
- Communications$35,982
- Computer Science$68,175
- Criminal Justice$51,709
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,110
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Finance—
- Fire Protection—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration$47,089
- History—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$58,061
- Linguistics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$75,117
- Physiology—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$49,587
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$42,936
- Religious Studies—
- Social Sciences—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Studio Art—
- Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language—
- Theatre—
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
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
Living in Boiling Springs
2 bedrooms $1,014.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 50 inches of rain a year, 4 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Cleveland County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cleveland County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare GWU 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gardner-Webb University | 77% | $17,674 | 55% | $48,039 | This school |
| University of Mount Olive | 76% | $18,853 | 52% | $47,139 | |
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 80% | $27,426 | 49% | $43,418 | |
| Salem College | 77% | $18,277 | 57% | $44,640 | |
| Catawba College | 75% | $17,879 | 47% | $48,793 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Gardner-Webb University would cost you $1,179 less per year than University of Mount Olive, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Gardner-Webb University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$7,394).
- Gardner-Webb University gives aided families $9,701 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | GWU | University of Mount Olive | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $34,760 | $27,366 | +$7,394 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,350 | −$350 |
| Housing & meals | $10,770 | $11,212 | −$442 |
| Personal & travel | $2,400 | $2,000 | +$400 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,839 | −$3,359 | +$1,520 |
| Sticker price | $47,091 | $38,569 | +$8,522 |
| Average grants | −$29,417 | −$19,716 | −$9,701 |
| You pay | $17,674 | $18,853 | −$1,179 |
“+” means GWU 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 GWU
What is the GWU acceptance rate?
Gardner-Webb University accepts 77% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 4,064 of 4,670 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 975–1198 on the SAT or 19–25 on the ACT.
How much does Gardner-Webb University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $47,091 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $17,674 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,304 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,438.
How much do GWU graduates earn?
Former Gardner-Webb University students earn a median $48,039 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the GWU graduation rate?
55% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 55% return for their second year.
How long does a GWU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Gardner-Webb University costs about $69,809 after grants ($13,769 a year for 5.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $48,039 ten years after starting, $14,523 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 4.8 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: “Gardner-Webb University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/gardner-webb-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).