Catawba Valley Community College
A good fit for families looking for lower cost and students who prefer a mid-size campus. no major red flags in the data. a public school with 2,741 students.
About This School
Catawba Valley Community College is a public institution located in Hickory, North Carolina with approximately 2,741 undergraduate students enrolled. The average net price after financial aid is $10,528 per year. Typical graduates earn $30,700 within 10 years of enrollment.
Catawba Valley Community College (CVCC) is a public community college in Hickory, North Carolina. The college, established April 3, 1958, is part of the North Carolina Community College System. The main campus covers 162 acres (0.66 km2) and includes 16 buildings. The college also operates a Cosmetology Center in downtown Newton, the CVCC Alexander Center for Education in Taylorsville, and East Campus, where continuing education and business & industry services are provided. Specialty programs include the Manufacturing Solutions Center, where US manufacturers are provided assistance to increase sales, improve quality and improve efficiency. A 28,000-square-foot (2,600 m2) Regional Simulated Hospital, ValleySim Hospital, opened in 2011. CVCC now has two furniture academies, one in Newton, North Carolina, and one in Taylorsville, North Carolina.
Worth considering if you're looking to minimize debt and get into the workforce quickly — graduates carry just $5,125 in median debt, which is impressively low. The $9,415 annual net price makes it one of the more affordable paths in the region, especially for career-focused programs. That said, median earnings of $30,700 a decade out are modest, so think carefully about which program you choose and where it realistically leads before enrolling.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 18% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
Will This School Pay Off?
Strong return. Graduates earn well above their debt load.
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 (2,741 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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Wake Technical Community College
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Appalachian State University
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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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