Private nonprofit · University

Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte, North Carolina · Large city

45.2%
Admit rate
$20,894
Avg net price
34%
Graduation rate
$42,680
Median earnings

Johnson C Smith University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Charlotte, North Carolina (large city setting), enrolling 1,244 undergraduates. It is a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,244 undergradsLarge citySelective · 45% admitNCAA Division II with football · Central Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationCold winters

About Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The Catawba Indians are the earliest known inhabitants of the Charlotte area. They were first encountered in the region in 1567 by the Spanish Conquistador Juan Pardo. The Charlotte region is home to many annual festivals and special events. The Carolina Renaissance Festival operates on Saturdays and Sundays each October and November. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
1 mile to Charlotte, NC
To the ocean
155 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Charlotte Douglas (CLT) · major hub

How Johnson C Smith University compares

Selectivity45.2%

More selective than 86% · #10 most selective of 53 in North Carolina

Graduation rate34%

Higher than 16% · #46 of 56 in North Carolina

First-year retention71%

Higher than 34%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$42,680

Higher than 19% · #41 of 57 in North Carolina

Average net price$20,894

Cheaper than 46% · #36 cheapest of 57 in North Carolina

Median debt at graduation$30,000

Lower than 4%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment1,244

Larger than 44%

Percentiles compare Johnson C Smith University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in North Carolina.

Johnson C Smith University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

1,294students
  • Undergraduate1,24496%
  • Graduate504%

Undergraduates by gender

1,244undergrads
  • Women72959%
  • Men51541%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White0.6%
  • Black81%
  • Other or multiracial18%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,244
Graduate enrollment
50
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
69%
First-generation students
36%
Students over 25
15%
Median family income
$26,404
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$70,254
Endowment
$69,181,754

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 283 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From North Carolina47%
  • Other U.S. states52%

A regional draw: about 46% of first-years come from North Carolina, the rest from elsewhere.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
45.2%
Test scores
Not considered
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$21,300
Room & board
$8,600
Books & supplies
$1,200
Total cost of attendance
$34,923
Average net price
$20,894

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)
34%
Graduated on time (4 years)
22%
First-year retention
71%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$31,478
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$42,680
Median debt at graduation
$30,000
Students with federal loans
75%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
22%

About 13% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
22%
Low-income (Pell)
32%
First-generation
32%

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
1,039
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
84%
Housing charge (year)
$6,000
Meal plan (year)
$3,014
Application fee
$25
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
319 (216 men · 103 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 (10)

Football123
Track and Field (Indoor)46
Track and Field (Outdoor)46
Basketball28
Cross Country22
Golf12
Softball12
Tennis12
Volleyball12
Bowling6

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
D
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
5.1 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
9
Property offenses (2022–2024)
11

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,302 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.

6.7reported offenses a year
3.0 violent a year3.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
2.3
Rape
1.3
Motor vehicle theft
1.3
Fondling
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.7
Robbery
0.3

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.

< $30k
$19,940
$30–48k
$21,165
$48–75k
$21,005
$75–110k
$19,722
$110k+
$29,050

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.

Est. total to a degree
$95,671

$21,005/year × about 4.6 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.

68%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$10,128
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 68% — get grant money from Johnson C Smith University itself, averaging $10,128, which softens the sticker price.

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 259 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)
$42,680
Typical debt at graduation
$30,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
70%
Out-earn a HS grad
42%

Typical debt would take roughly 7.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Weigh it value

The payoff is less clear-cut here — weigh the debt against the earnings and your intended field before borrowing heavily.

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.

Women
$43,461
Men
$40,480

Women out-earn men by $2,981 (7%) 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
90°F
Winter low
32°F
Annual rain
43.6″
Annual snow
3.5″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.14.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Charlotte Douglas AP, NC US station (5.7 mi from campus).

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 Johnson C Smith University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Johnson C Smith University side by side →

Colleges near Johnson C Smith University

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.