More selective than 31% 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 $58,022. College Scorecard.
Higher than 52% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 40% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 30% of North Carolina colleges we cover and 21% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,677 applicants, Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte admitted 3,521 and 432 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1130 on the SAT or 16–23 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte 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 Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte took 4.2 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 | $23,414 | $97,168 | 9.8 years |
| $30–48k | $24,568 | $101,957 | 10.3 years |
| $48–75k | $25,109 | $104,202 | 10.5 years |
| $75–110k | $30,117 | $124,986 | 12.6 years |
| $110k+ | $33,680 | $139,772 | 14.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (30% 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 ($43,418) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $9,902 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.
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte majors, earnings & careers
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte offers 17 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 6
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Science & Math · 2
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Humanities & Languages · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | $73,476 | $27,000 |
| Marketing | $64,321 | $26,675 |
| Business Administration | $59,186 | $27,000 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | $56,241 | $27,000 |
| Hospitality Management | $55,790 | $26,175 |
| Culinary Arts and Related Services | $55,056 | $27,000 |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | $53,539 | $27,000 |
| Communications | $51,247 | $25,125 |
Quick list of all 17 majors
- Accounting$73,476
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services—
- Business Administration$59,186
- Communications$51,247
- Culinary Arts and Related Services$55,056
- Entrepreneurship$47,042
- Food Science and Technology—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$50,571
- Health Sciences—
- Hospitality Management$55,790
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing$64,321
- Nursing—
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$56,241
- Psychology—
- Public Health—
- Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations$53,539
— 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 →Hospitality Management → Lodging manager
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.8% 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 Charlotte
Overall prices in the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,785. Housing costs 2% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 4 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Mecklenburg County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Mecklenburg County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | 80% | $27,426 | 49% | $43,418 | This school |
| Guilford College | 80% | $22,270 | 46% | $47,590 | |
| North Carolina Wesleyan University | 80% | $17,432 | 42% | $45,873 | |
| Catawba College | 75% | $17,879 | 47% | $48,793 | |
| Lenoir-Rhyne University | 85% | $20,689 | 48% | $45,543 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte would cost you $5,156 more per year than Guilford College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$2,544).
- Guilford College gives aided families $2,823 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, North Carolina resident | Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte | Guilford College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $42,419 | $41,362 | +$1,057 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,270 | −$70 |
| Housing & meals | $15,644 | $13,100 | +$2,544 |
| Personal & travel | $1,758 | $1,500 | +$258 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,999 | −$1,543 | −$1,456 |
| Sticker price | $58,022 | $55,689 | +$2,333 |
| Average grants | −$30,596 | −$33,419 | +$2,823 |
| You pay | $27,426 | $22,270 | +$5,156 |
“+” means Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte 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 Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte
What is the Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte acceptance rate?
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte accepts 80% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,521 of 4,677 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 880–1130 on the SAT or 16–23 on the ACT.
How much does Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $58,022 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $27,426 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $23,414 and families earning $110k+ pay $33,680.
How much do Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte graduates earn?
Former Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte students earn a median $43,418 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte graduation rate?
49% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte costs about $104,202 after grants ($25,109 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $43,418 ten years after starting, $9,902 more than high school graduates in North Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 10.5 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: “Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/johnson-and-wales-university-charlotte (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).