Catawba College campus
Catawba College logo

Catawba College

Type 4 year, Private
Business Model Non Profit
Campus locale Suburb: Midsize
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate
Calendar system Semester
Student body size Small
Common app member Yes
Dormitory capacity 688
Student to faculty ratio 11 to 1
Acceptance rate 56%
Students retention rate 68%
On-time graduation rate 60%

Located in Salisbury, North Carolina, Catawba College is a private, non profit institution that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. The college operates on a semester-based calendar system, providing students with structured academic terms.

Catawba College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, ensuring that the institution meets certain standards of quality and effectiveness. This accreditation also allows students to transfer credits to other accredited institutions if they choose to continue their education elsewhere.

With a students-to-faculty ratio of 11-to-1, Catawba College emphasizes small class sizes, fostering a supportive and interactive learning environment.

The retention rate of students at Catawba College is 68% , which is lower than both the state and national averages. The state average retention rate in North Carolina is 80%, while the national average is 74%. This indicates that a significant proportion of students who enroll at Catawba College do not continue their studies after the first year.


  • Accredited by: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
  • The institution provides on-campus housing

Acceptance Rate

Fall 2021 admitted students

56.1%

In-State Tuition & Fees

$32,380

Cost of attendance at Catawba College in 2022 for students from North Carolina.

See how the college's in-state sticker price compares to 4 year Non Profit, private colleges in the state as well as nationally.

North Carolina's average $7,237
National average $30,235

Out-of-State Tuition & Fees

$32,380

Cost of attendance at Catawba College in 2022 for the out-of-state and international students

See how the college's out-of-state sticker price compares to 4 year Non Profit, private colleges in the state as well as nationally.

North Carolina's average $20,075
National average $30,238

Average Grant & Scholarships

In 2022, 98 of freshman students at Catawba College received on average $26,327 in grant and scholarships from the college, the state and/or the federal government. Below is detail stats of the aid provided to full-time, freshman students.

$26,327
Students Receiving Aid Average Amount Total Amount
Pell Grant 96 37% $4,883 $468,814
Other Federal Grant 96 37% $5,305 $509,314
State Grant/Scholarships 125 48% $5,712 $713,956
Institutional Grant/Scholarships 251 97% $21,873 $5,490,004
Total Grant & Scholarships 255 98% $26,327 $6,713,274

Graduation Rate

The following chart shows the graduation rate of Catawba College students who enrolled in 2015 and after. The stat covers all undergraduates registered as full-time students to study a 4-year bachelor's degree program for the first time.

The breakdown shows the graduation rate by race/ethnicity of US students. All international students are represented under one group.

As of August 31, 2021, the average graduation rate of Catawba College students is 59.8%. Female students graduated at a rate of 62.4%, whereas male students graduated at a rate of 57.4%.

59.8%

  • African American 56.8% 25 students
  • white 61.5% 134 students
  • hispanic 58.3% 14 students
  • International Students 85.7% 6 students
  • Mixed Race 43.8% 7 students

Sport Conferences

  • Football South Atlantic Conference
  • Baseball South Atlantic Conference
  • Basketball South Atlantic Conference
  • Track and Cross Country South Atlantic Conference

Athletic Associations

  • NCAA
    National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)

Service Offerings

Catawba College provides the following additional services to its students
  • Placement services for graduates
  • Academic/career counseling services
  • Employment services for students

Educational Offerings

Catawba College offers educational programs in the following categories. Check the programs section to learn more about specific programs that you are interested in.
  • Academic

Special Learning Opportunities

  • Weekend/evening classes
  • Study abroad
  • Teacher certification
  • ROTC - Army

Veteran Services

  • Member of Service-members Opportunity Colleges
  • Dedicated point of contact for support services for veterans, military service-members, and their families
  • Credit for military training
  • Yellow Ribbon Program (officially known as Post-9/11 GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program)

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Catawba College Catawba College vs Huntingdon College Huntingdon College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Lynn University Lynn University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Piedmont University Piedmont University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Young Harris College Young Harris College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Franklin College Franklin College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Georgetown College Georgetown College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Olivet College Olivet College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Carroll College Carroll College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Appalachian State University Appalachian State University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Barton College Barton College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Belmont Abbey College Belmont Abbey College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Brevard College Brevard College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Duke University Duke University
Catawba College Catawba College vs East Carolina University East Carolina University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Elon University Elon University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Gardner-Webb University Gardner-Webb University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Lees-McRae College Lees-McRae College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Mars Hill University Mars Hill University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Montreat College Montreat College
Catawba College Catawba College vs University of North Carolina at Asheville University of North Carolina at Asheville
Catawba College Catawba College vs University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Catawba College Catawba College vs North Carolina State University at Raleigh North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Catawba College Catawba College vs William Peace University William Peace University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Pfeiffer University Pfeiffer University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Shaw University Shaw University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Warren Wilson College Warren Wilson College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Wingate University Wingate University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Western Carolina University Western Carolina University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Heidelberg University Heidelberg University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Lake Erie College Lake Erie College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Westminster College Westminster College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Converse University Converse University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Carson-Newman University Carson-Newman University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Christian Brothers University Christian Brothers University
Catawba College Catawba College vs King University King University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Averett University Averett University
Catawba College Catawba College vs Ferrum College Ferrum College
Catawba College Catawba College vs Lakeland University Lakeland University