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Is Catawba College worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Catawba, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Stretch
Catawba sits in the stretch band for a typical family. The long-run earnings picture at $48,793 helps, but median debt of $25,000 plus yearly net price of $17,879 creates a tighter path. For context, Catawba's net price is about 20% below the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. It can work, but the financing plan has to be deliberate.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$18,319
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis helps your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $4,518 less per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $18,000 in savings.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$17,879
Median earnings 10 years out
$48,793
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Graduation rate
50%
At Catawba, a typical graduate carries about $25,000 in student debt and earns roughly $48,793 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $284 per month, or 7% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Catawba is a private nonprofit four year school in Salisbury, NC. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Greensboro
Greensboro, NC
Worth-It Score: 50/100
Median net price: $17,882
Private nonprofit 4-year
Gardner-Webb
Boiling Springs, NC
Worth-It Score: 59/100
Median net price: $17,674
Private nonprofit 4-year
Salem
Winston-Salem, NC
Worth-It Score: 54/100
Median net price: $18,277
Private nonprofit 4-year
Mid-Atlantic Christian
Elizabeth City, NC
Worth-It Score: 38/100
Median net price: $18,328
Private nonprofit 4-year
North Carolina Wesleyan
Rocky Mount, NC
Worth-It Score: 49/100
Median net price: $17,432
Common questions about Catawba
The median net price at Catawba is $17,879 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in North Carolina? See the most affordable private colleges in North Carolina →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →