Private nonprofit · College
Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina · Large suburb
- 75.2%
- Admit rate
- $17,879
- Avg net price
- 47%
- Graduation rate
- $48,793
- Median earnings
Catawba College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Salisbury, North Carolina (large suburb setting), enrolling 1,235 undergraduates.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against Catawba College's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 75.2%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1030–1300
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.17
Enter a test score to see where you land against Catawba College's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Catawba College's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Salisbury, North Carolina
Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. In 1753 an appointed Anglo-European trustee for Rowan County was directed to enter 40 acres (16 ha) of land for a County Seat, and public buildings were erected. Salisbury has developed a strong record of historic preservation since the late 20th century. It is the site of a noted prisoner of war camp during the American Civil War and has ten National Register historic districts. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 31 miles to Winston-Salem, NC
- To the ocean
- 164 miles
- Nearest airport
- 25 miles to Concord-Padgett (USA)
How Catawba College compares
More selective than 55% · #28 most selective of 53 in North Carolina
Higher than 30%
Higher than 34% · #27 of 56 in North Carolina
Higher than 53%
Higher than 35% · #19 of 57 in North Carolina
Cheaper than 60% · #24 cheapest of 57 in North Carolina
Lower than 34%
Lower than 50%
Larger than 44%
Percentiles compare Catawba College with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in North Carolina.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate1,23592%
- Graduate1148%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women65753%
- Men57847%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White54%
- Black21%
- Hispanic10%
- Asian1.2%
- Other or multiracial14%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 1,235
- Graduate enrollment
- 114
- Student–faculty ratio
- 13 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 41%
- First-generation students
- 30%
- Students over 25
- 10%
- Median family income
- $48,930
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $78,138
- Endowment
- $386,330,862
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 75.2%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1030–1300
- SAT average
- 1096
- SAT reading
- 520–650
- SAT math
- 510–650
- ACT composite
- 17–25
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.17
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $34,300
- Room & board
- $13,565
- Books & supplies
- $1,400
- Total cost of attendance
- $49,516
- Average net price
- $17,879
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 47%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 47%
- First-year retention
- 77%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $36,912
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $48,793
- Median debt at graduation
- $25,000
- Students with federal loans
- 53%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 52%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 688
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 56%
- Housing charge (year)
- $7,350
- Meal plan (year)
- $5,200
- Application fee
- Free
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II with football
- Football conference
- South Atlantic Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 721 (456 men · 265 women)
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
Varsity sports (12)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.2 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 5
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,376 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$15,412/year × about 4.0 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
Catawba College discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $24,744. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 298 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $48,793
- Typical debt at graduation
- $25,000
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 51%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 55%
Typical debt would take roughly 5.1 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $6,559 (14%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 88°F
- Winter low
- 29°F
- Annual rain
- 43.7″
- Annual snow
- 2.4″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Salisbury, NC US station (0.5 mi from campus).
What Catawba College graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to Catawba College
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Catawba College side by side →
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, Iowa · Remote town · 99 mi to Sioux Falls
- Students
- 1,366
- Admission
- 78%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1120
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $49k
Gardner-Webb University
Boiling Springs, North Carolina · Distant rural · 47 mi to Charlotte
- Students
- 1,856
- Admission
- 77%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1113
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $48k
Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, Tennessee · Large city · 2 mi to Nashville
- Students
- 1,737
- Admission
- 69%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1091
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $49k
Malone University
Canton, Ohio · Small city · 19 mi to Akron
- Students
- 798
- Admission
- 76%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1081
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $49k
Rocky Mountain College
Billings, Montana · Midsize city · 3 mi to Billings
- Students
- 840
- Admission
- 70%
- Net price
- $20k
- SAT
- 1083
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $49k
Guilford College
Greensboro, North Carolina · Large city · 6 mi to Greensboro
- Students
- 1,001
- Admission
- 80%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1105
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $48k
Colleges near Catawba College
Livingstone College
Salisbury, NC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 924 students
Hood Theological Seminary
Salisbury, NC · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Salisbury, NC · Public · Certificate · 4,164 students
Pfeiffer University
Misenheimer, NC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 655 students
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences
Concord, NC · Private nonprofit · Associate · 712 students
Pinnacle Institute of Cosmetology
Mooresville, NC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 18 students
Davidson-Davie Community College
Thomasville, NC · Public · Certificate · 2,633 students
Universal Technical Institute-Mooresville
Mooresville, NC · Private for-profit · Associate · 1,345 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.













