Carlow University
About
Carlow University is a private Catholic university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1929 by the Sisters of Mercy, it enrolled over 2,400 students as of fall 2024. The university's athletic teams are known as the Celtics, reflecting its Irish heritage.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 17.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 74 Title IV programs, 11 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 62 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing11 · 14.9%
- No Data62 · 83.8%
- Failing1 · 1.4%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Programmatic accreditations · 12
Action history · 7
- Jun 2025Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Feb 2025Initial AccreditationAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
- Sep 2024Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels
- Sep 2024Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
- Sep 2024Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 774 students received $4.2M in Pell grants, alongside $29.6M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 739 borrowers who entered repayment, 19 (2.5%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Carlow
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 9
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Carlow vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Carlow selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCarlow University | 60% | — | 2,416 | $20,822 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Alvernia University | 56% | 58.1% | 2,796 | $28,329 | Doctoral/Professional |
Gwynedd Mercy University | 65% | 89.6% | 2,017 | $27,141 | Doctoral/Professional |
Holy Family University | 60% | 71.0% | 3,225 | $12,251 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
Ohio Dominican University | 41% | 94.2% | 1,209 | $19,476 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs |
Point Park University | 59% | 96.9% | 3,448 | $24,791 | Doctoral/Professional |
Utica University | 56% | 92.0% | 3,627 | $21,869 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| Peer group median | 59% | 90.8% | 2,796 | $21,869 |
Carlow Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The webpage for Carlow University's Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness includes navigation links to various university services and departments. Some key links allow prospective students to apply, schedule campus visits, and obtain information about campus safety and giving to the university. However, specific details about the office's activities, personnel, or resources like factbooks and data requests are not available.
Visit IR office page- Edith Cook, PhDSenior Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness
- Katie McCurdy-MarksData Analyst
- Larissa LindquistAssistant Director of Assessment and Accreditation
Reports & documents (4)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- Data dictionaryData dictionaryThe page for Carlow University's Institutional Research & Effectiveness does not provide specific details about a data dictionary or structured institutional data. It primarily serves as a landing page for the department, offering links to various sections of the university's website including admissions, student services, and institutional information. The text briefly mentions individuals involved in the institution, like Dr. Edith Cook, but lacks a formal description of a data dictionary or its content.carlow.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookQuick Facts2025The Quick Facts page for Carlow University provides a comprehensive overview of the institution's key metrics as of September 22nd, 2025. It covers academic offerings, student enrollment demographics, financial aid statistics, and faculty details. Notably, the university offers 124 majors or programs and awards degrees at multiple levels. The demographics highlight a significant representation of women both at the undergraduate (83%) and graduate (84%) levels. Retention rates for undergraduates who started in Fall 2024 and returned in Fall 2025 are at 80%, while graduation rates for first-time students who started in Fall 2019 range from 57% to 69% over four to six years. Financial aid is prevalent, with 89% of traditional undergraduates receiving institutional aid. Additionally, most faculty members hold a terminal degree, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1.carlow.edu
- Strategic planThe Carlow Commitment: Our Five-Year Strategic PlanCarlow University's strategic plan, titled 'The Carlow Commitment,' focuses on adapting to the rapid changes in the higher education landscape by fostering innovation and flexibility. It is structured around four foundational pillars: Accelerate Growth, Optimize Learning, Create Collaborative Environments, and Build Financial Health. The plan aims to guide the university in answering important questions about its aspirations and the community it serves.carlow.edu
Notable alumni of Carlow (6)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Maria Caruso
- Peter F. Flaherty
- Alice L. Laffey
- Patricia McCann
- Barbara K. Mistick
- Gloria Skurzynski
Frequently asked questions about Carlow University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Carlow.
What is the graduation rate at Carlow University?
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Who runs Institutional Research at Carlow University?
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