# Catawba College

Private nonprofit college in Salisbury, NC. IPEDS ID 198215.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/catawba-college · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/catawba-college.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 75% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $17,879 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 47%; beats 46% of NC colleges and 37% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $48,793; beats 65% of NC colleges and 37% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $13,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $13,618 |
| 30-48k | $17,495 |
| 48-75k | $15,412 |
| 75-110k | $17,440 |
| 110k+ | $24,420 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.14 years on average (45% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $48,793 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in NC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $49,516
- Tuition and fees: $34,300
- Housing and meals: $12,550; books: $1,400

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 520–650; SAT math: 510–650; ACT: 17–25 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 2,547 applicants, 1,979 admitted, 308 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 75%, ACT 17–25 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 78%, ACT 20–25 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (36 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $46,068 | $60,718 | $26,000 |
| Biology | not reported | $52,583 | $25,931 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $38,071 | $48,982 | $20,655 |
| Communications | $32,323 | $48,181 | $26,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $27,305 | $44,296 | $26,703 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $27,389 | $42,505 | $25,794 |
| Music | $23,577 | $39,633 | $27,000 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminal Justice | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Arts and Entertainment Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Nursing | $70,522 | not reported | $27,250 |
| Accounting | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Information Systems | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Marketing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $102,920 (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC), $98,560 (NC), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher: median wage $58,680 (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC), $54,930 (NC), $63,970 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).