Catawba College vs Carson-Newman University

Catawba College and Carson-Newman University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Catawba, nestled in Salisbury, North Carolina, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body. Carson-Newman, located in Jefferson City, Tennessee, maintains a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. While both colleges excel in liberal arts education, Catawba offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, including business and nursing, while Carson-Newman emphasizes its strong music and education departments. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions, such as graduation rates, cost of attendance, and available financial aid, to determine which college best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Carson-Newman University	Catawba College
Overview
Location	Jefferson City, Tennessee	Salisbury, North Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Small	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	69.0%	68.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	78.9%	56.1%
Application fees
SAT range	955 - 1135	990 - 1150
ACT range	19 - 25	18 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	9.0%	33.0%
Students submitting ACT score	78.0%	49.0%
Total number of applicants	2,953	2,199
Total number of admissions given out	2,329	1,234
Admitted students who chose to enroll	395	264
Yield rate	17.0%	21.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$43,818	$46,262
Average net price	$18,147	$19,276
Tuition	$29,920	$32,380
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,134 Meal plan: $5,340	Room/dormitory: $6,564 Meal plan: $4,566
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $23,432	98.0% Average amount $26,327
Students receiving federal student loan	55.0% Average amount $5,217	63.0% Average amount $5,262
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $11,046	7.0% Average amount $11,314

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,695 Men 42.8% Women 57.2%	1,142 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%
Graduate students	1,140 Men 23.9% Women 76.1%	65 Men 52.3% Women 47.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	22.8%	N/A
International students	4.0%	5.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,172	688
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Tennessee Florida Georgia South Carolina North Carolina	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Health Professions Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Business Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	11:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.5%	59.8%
Dropout rate	7.6%	39.5%
Transferred out	35.2%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $81,965 Year 2: $85,760 Year 3: $89,368 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,676 Year 2: $51,829 Year 3: $54,331 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,186 Year 2: $50,499 Year 3: $53,320 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,686 Year 2: $50,465 Year 3: $53,061 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $49,368 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,928 Year 2: $42,853 Year 3: $46,623 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,221 Year 2: $36,745 Year 3: $43,416 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,689 Year 2: $36,110 Year 3: $40,485 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,153 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,693 Year 2: $49,331 Year 3: N/A	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,918 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $55,370 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,677 Year 2: $34,259 Year 3: $35,554 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,810 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $32,518 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,672 Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $30,810 Music (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $16,419 Year 2: $22,482 Year 3: $29,367 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,770 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $23,693 Year 3: N/A

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