Catawba Valley Community College
Tuition, net price, admissions, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Hickory, North Carolina
Net price / year
$10,528
after grants & scholarships
higher than 74% of public 2-year colleges
Acceptance rate
Open admission
accepts most applicants
Graduation rate
35%
within 150% of normal time
higher than 62% of public 2-year colleges
Median earnings
$44,829
4 years after graduating
lower than 77% of public 2-year colleges
Catawba Valley Community College at a glance
- What is the tuition at Catawba Valley Community College?
- In-state undergraduate tuition and fees are $2,427 for the 2024-25 academic year, or $7,803 for out-of-state students.
- What is the cost of attendance at Catawba Valley Community College?
- The average cost of attendance is $20,446 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at Catawba Valley Community College?
- The average net price for in-state students is $10,528 a year after grants and scholarships (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at Catawba Valley Community College?
- This school has open admission: most applicants who meet basic requirements are accepted.
- What is the graduation rate at Catawba Valley Community College?
- 35% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 3 years (entering classes through fall 2021).
- How much do graduates of Catawba Valley Community College earn?
- The median graduate earns $44,829 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 2.0 years of work (not counting income forgone while studying).
- This school has open admission, so most applicants who meet basic requirements are accepted.
- At $10,528 a year, the average net price is higher than 74% of public 2-year colleges.
- Graduates earn a median $44,829 four years after finishing, less than 77% of public 2-year colleges.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities is the largest field of study here, at 40% of the degrees and certificates awarded.
Tuition and cost of attendance at Catawba Valley Community College
Average net price (in-state)
$10,528 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the Catawba Valley Community College net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$21,056
Net price × 2 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $9,170
- $30–48k $9,639
- $48–75k $13,129
- $75–110k $15,469
- $110k+ —
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $20,446
- Tuition & fees$2,427
- Books & supplies$1,870
- Room & board$12,734
- Other expenses$12,794
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $2,427
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $7,803
Catawba Valley Community College acceptance rate and admissions
Open admission
The school admits most applicants who meet basic requirements.
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Catawba Valley Community College
Graduation rate
35%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
67%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$52
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
2.0 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.1×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 1.4%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $21,101 · median $36,977 · 75th percentile $53,434
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at Catawba Valley Community College ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate · Graduates: 29 Small sample | $66,385 | 1 yr$64,7074 yrs$66,3855 yrs$70,336 | U.S. median $80,813 U.S. middle half $61.1K–$103.8K · Below the U.S. median | $5,500 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions Associate · Graduates: 22 Small sample | $66,069 | 1 yr$55,1284 yrs$66,0695 yrs$54,508 | U.S. median $61,982 U.S. middle half $42.2K–$79.2K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Associate · Graduates: 51 | $58,094 | 1 yr$52,2734 yrs$58,0945 yrs$55,077 | U.S. median $65,389 U.S. middle half $46.4K–$85K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations Associate · Graduates: 51 | $43,089 | 1 yr$41,4254 yrs$43,0895 yrs$36,105 | U.S. median $48,733 U.S. middle half $31.7K–$67.6K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Associate · Graduates: 388 | $41,497 | 1 yr$23,9514 yrs$41,4975 yrs$41,816 | U.S. median $44,125 U.S. middle half $28.9K–$61.6K · Below the U.S. median | $5,500 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services Associate · Graduates: 44 | $36,141 | 1 yr$29,4694 yrs$36,1415 yrs$37,279 | U.S. median $37,073 U.S. middle half $23.3K–$49.3K · Below the U.S. median | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Associate · Graduates: 19 Small sample | $27,722 | — | U.S. median $37,656 U.S. middle half $24.8K–$49.8K · Below the U.S. median | — |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 60.6%
- Black or African American 8.7%
- Hispanic or Latino 17.4%
- Asian 6.9%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 0.1%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.2%
- Two or more races 3.4%
- U.S. nonresident 1.4%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 1.4%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 45.2%
- Women 54.8%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
15%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 2,741
- Part-time students
- 64%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 28%
- Receive federal loans
- 0%
- Students per faculty member
- 10 : 1
- Setting
- City
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Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Catawba Valley Community College?
For the 2024-25 academic year, Catawba Valley Community College reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $2,427 for in-state students and $7,803 for out-of-state students. These are published prices before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at Catawba Valley Community College?
The average cost of attendance at Catawba Valley Community College is $20,446 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $10,528 a year. That is higher than 74% of public 2-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at Catawba Valley Community College get?
28% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 0% receive federal loans.
What is the acceptance rate at Catawba Valley Community College?
Catawba Valley Community College has open admission: it accepts most applicants who meet basic requirements.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Catawba Valley Community College?
35% of first-time, full-time students at Catawba Valley Community College finish within 150% of normal time. 67% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do Catawba Valley Community College graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $44,829 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $33,668.
Is Catawba Valley Community College worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Catawba Valley Community College, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 2.0 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $4,938, about 0.1 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 35% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
How much debt do Catawba Valley Community College graduates have?
Graduates who borrowed have a median federal-loan debt of $4,938, or about $52 a month on a 10-year plan.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2021 or AcadYr 2021-22 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things