Catawba College
Salisbury, North Carolina
A 0–100 composite of ROI, graduate earnings, net price, debt and graduation rate. How it’s scored.
Estimated for a typical student paying the average net price over 4 years.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
The numbers behind the verdict
Lifetime ROI: the long view
Cumulative net gain over a high-school-only earner at different career lengths, with tuition and debt interest already subtracted. Built on IRS-verified federal earnings — not self-reported surveys.
Conservative: holds year-5 earnings flat (no raises). Adjust the assumptions, or see the highest 20-year ROI colleges.
Equity & access
Who the college serves and whether the payoff reaches everyone — earnings ten years after starting (IRS-linked), with access measures from federal enrollment data.
12% gap between the two groups
15% gap between the two groups
2% gap between the two groups
Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity. Federal data does not report earnings by race.
Net price by family income
What students actually pay after grants and scholarships, by household income as of 2024.
| Family income | Average net price / yr |
|---|---|
| Family income $0–$30k | $13,618 |
| $30k–$48k | $17,495 |
| $48k–$75k | $15,412 |
| $75k–$110k | $17,440 |
| $110k+ | $24,420 |
How Catawba College compares
This college against the North Carolina and national averages — higher earnings and lower cost/debt are better.
Graduate earnings over time
Median earnings of Catawba College students 10 years after entering, by cohort year as of 2024.
Best-paying majors at Catawba College
Fields of study ranked by their own ROI — earnings five years after graduating against the cost and debt. Click a major for the deep dive.
| Major | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's | $64,539 | $23,250 | +342% | Strong return |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Associate's | $45,156 | $25,000 | -97% | Poor return |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Associate's | $42,235 | $19,000 | -165% | Poor return |
| Biology, General | Associate's | $40,337 | $25,863 | -203% | Poor return |
| Music | Associate's | $36,393 | $27,000 | -289% | Poor return |
Calculate your own ROI
Adjust the assumptions for your situation — the verdict, break-even and chart update live.
ROI at Catawba College
Estimates from federal data; your result will vary. How this works.
Admissions & profile
Location
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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