Catawba Valley Community College
A good fit for families looking for lower cost and students who prefer a mid-size campus. graduation rate is below 40%. 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. The graduation rate is 35%, and the typical graduate earns $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%.
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.
Catawba Valley Community College graduates earn most above the national rate in Dental Support Services and Allied Professions ($66,069 vs $61,982 nationally), and most below it in Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($66,385 vs $80,813).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 437 | $41,497 | $44,125 | −$2,628 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 64 | $66,385 | $80,813 | −$14,428 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 40 | $58,094 | $65,389 | −$7,295 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 32 | $43,089 | $48,733 | −$5,644 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 22 | $36,141 | $37,073 | −$932 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 15 | $66,069 | $61,982 | +$4,087 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 8 | $27,722 | $37,656 | −$9,934 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing an associate'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?
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
Schools Like This in North Carolina
Coastal Carolina Community College
Jacksonville, NC · Public
Davidson-Davie Community College
Thomasville, NC · Public
University of North Carolina Asheville
Asheville, NC · Public
Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute
Hudson, NC · Public
Alamance Community College
Graham, NC · Public
Wayne Community College
Goldsboro, NC · Public
See How Colleges Compare
Catawba Valley Community 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
How much does Catawba Valley Community College cost?
The average net price at Catawba Valley Community College is about $10,528 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 Valley Community College?
Catawba Valley Community College has a graduation rate of 35%, 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.
All school names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Their use on this page is for identification purposes only and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with CollegeHelpGuide.