Catawba College
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions and students who want small classes and close faculty access. no major red flags in the data. financial aid brings net price below sticker.
About This School
Catawba College is a private nonprofit institution located in Salisbury, North Carolina with approximately 1,235 undergraduate students enrolled. Catawba College has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 75%. The average net price after financial aid is $17,879 per year. The graduation rate is 47%, and the typical graduate earns $42,700 within 10 years of enrollment.
Catawba College is a private college in Salisbury, North Carolina. Founded in 1851 by the North Carolina Classis of the Reformed Church in Newton, the college adopted its name from its county of origin, Catawba County, before moving to its current home of Salisbury in 1925. Catawba College still holds loose ties with the successor to the Reformed Church, the United Church of Christ. It offers over 70 undergraduate degrees. As of August 2024, Catawba has an endowment over $580 million.
The numbers tell a mixed story here: a reasonable net price of $18,210/year and surprisingly low median debt of $13,000 make this one of the more affordable private college options, and a $580 million endowment for a school this size is genuinely impressive. However, the 52% graduation rate is a real concern — fewer than 1 in 2 students finishes, which is worth asking hard questions about before enrolling. Worth considering if you're drawn to a small, close-knit campus in North Carolina and have a clear plan to stay on track, but look closely at support resources and why so many students don't complete their degrees.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 15% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 49 | $60,718 | $68,257 | −$7,539 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 40 | $44,296 | $54,562 | −$10,266 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 28 | $48,982 | $47,382 | +$1,600 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 18 | $42,505 | $55,012 | −$12,507 |
| Biology, General | 17 | $52,583 | $57,214 | −$4,631 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 9 | $48,181 | $56,359 | −$8,178 |
| Music | 3 | $39,633 | $42,892 | −$3,259 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (1,235 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Catawba College is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Catawba College?
Catawba College has an acceptance rate of 75%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Catawba College hard to get into?
Not especially. Catawba College has an acceptance rate of 75%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Catawba College cost?
The average net price at Catawba College is about $17,879 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Catawba College?
Catawba College has a graduation rate of 47%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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