Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Overall completion
35%
Overall completion
35%
Full-time retention
65%
Full-time retention
65%
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 56 Title IV programs, 6 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 49 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Total programs
56
Passing
6
10.7% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
1.8% of portfolio
Fail rate
1.8%
+1.2pp vs 0.6% national
Pass / fail distribution
56programs
- Passing6 · 10.7%
- No Data49 · 87.5%
- Failing1 · 1.8%
Severity spectrum
Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
5
No data
49
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.
Program
Typical
Benchmark
EP gap
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Associate Degree · Education
$27,722
$32,203
Same-State HS Median
-13.9%
−$4,481
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Associate Degree · Education
-13.9%
$27,722 vs $32,203
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$36,141
$32,203
Same-State HS Median
+12.2%
+$3,938
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+12.2%
$36,141 vs $32,203
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
$41,497
$32,203
Same-State HS Median
+28.9%
+$9,294
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+28.9%
$41,497 vs $32,203
Business Administration Management and Operations
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
$43,089
$32,203
Same-State HS Median
+33.8%
+$10,886
Business Administration Management and Operations
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+33.8%
$43,089 vs $32,203
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$58,094
$32,203
Same-State HS Median
+80.4%
+$25,891
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+80.4%
$58,094 vs $32,203
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$66,069
$32,203
Same-State HS Median
+105.2%
+$33,866
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+105.2%
$66,069 vs $32,203
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$66,385
$32,203
Same-State HS Median
+106.1%
+$34,182
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+106.1%
$66,385 vs $32,203
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Program
Median debt
Median earnings
Debt burden
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$6,928
$36,141
19%
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$6,928 debt · $36,141 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
$6,500
$41,497
16%
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
$6,500 debt · $41,497 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$8,500
$58,094
15%
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$8,500 debt · $58,094 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$9,375
$66,385
14%
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
$9,375 debt · $66,385 earn
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Accredited since 1969Next review Dec 2030
Programmatic accreditations · 3
Action history · 18
- Nov 2025Grant Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Nov 2025Deny Substantive Change: ProgramSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jun 2025Renewal of AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Jan 2024Renewal of AccreditationJoint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology · Radiologic Technology (RAD) - Programs for radiographers
- Dec 2023Grant Substantive Change: OtherSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$110k+—
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Avg net price
$9,415
+$2,237vs Community College median $7,178
Federal loans
0.0%
In-state tuition
$2,367
Out-of-state
$7,743
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 1,709 students received $8.0M in Pell grants.
Pell recipients
1,709
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$8.0M
$8,012,720 total
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
1k’20
1k’21
1k’22
1k’23
2k’24
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
No Direct Loan volume reported.
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 208 borrowers who entered repayment, 10 (4.8%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate
4.8%
+2.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
208
Defaulted
10
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard
Default rate vs national, by cohort
2016
16.9%+7.6
2017
20.0%+10.8
2018
14.4%+7.4
2019
4.8%+2.5
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate
* 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 CVCC
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Distinct CIP programs49
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered
Top program families by completions
777 total completions
01Liberal Arts
45858.9%
01Liberal Arts
45858.9%
02Health Professions
14118.1%
02Health Professions
14118.1%
03Business
536.8%
03Business
536.8%
04Security/Protective
263.3%
04Security/Protective
263.3%
05Engineering Tech
222.8%
05Engineering Tech
222.8%
06Visual/Performing Arts
212.7%
06Visual/Performing Arts
212.7%
07Computer Sciences
172.2%
07Computer Sciences
172.2%
08Precision Production
162.1%
08Precision Production
162.1%
09Mechanic
162.1%
09Mechanic
162.1%
10Agriculture
70.9%
10Agriculture
70.9%
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Fall total
4,904
12-mo unduplicated
6,241
Undergraduate
6,241
Graduate
0
Gender split
Men
44%2,719
Women
56%3,522
Race / ethnicity composition
White
61.5%
Hispanic
18.6%
Asian
7.1%
Black
6.2%
Two or more
3.7%
Unknown
1.4%
Non-resident
1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Athletes
127
102 M · 25 W
Women athletes
19.7%
Athletic aid
$92K
Total student aid
Budget
$725K
Total expenses
Men vs women · spending splits
Athletic student aid
$42K
$49K
Recruiting expense
$1K
$1K
Head-coach salaries
$26K
$14K
Men Women
Sport-by-sport · 4
Sport
Men
Women
Expenses
Baseball
48
—
$245,037
Baseball
48 M · —
Basketball
15
12
$172,643
Basketball
15 M · 12 W
Other Sports
18
—
$117,328
Other Sports
18 M · —
Softball
—
11
$87,902
Softball
— · 11 W
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.24
1 offenses · 4,172 students
3-year trend
1.392 yrs ago0.241 yr ago0.24Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
8
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
2
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0
Criminal offenses by type
Motor vehicle theft
1
By location
1total
- On campus1
VAWA offenses
0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
0
Stalking
0 total under the Violence Against Women Act.
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons10
Drugs25
Liquor00
Residence-hall fires
No residence-hall fires reported.
Data quality: 4 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Student-to-faculty
10.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
147
CVCC vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions CVCC selected for federal comparison reporting.
This institutionPeer median
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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCatawba Valley Community College | 35% | — | 4,904 | $9,415 | Community College |
| — | — | 8,964 | $9,582 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,232 | $7,561 | Community College | |
| — | — | 3,914 | $5,517 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,053 | $4,591 | Community College | |
| — | — | 4,332 | $10,765 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,121 | $2,974 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,901 | $1,504 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,062 | $9,867 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,538 | $6,522 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,131 | $9,259 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,905 | $6,187 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,606 | $8,433 | Community College | |
| — | — | 10,109 | $12,211 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,336 | $12,591 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,544 | $6,239 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,334 | $2,991 | Community College | |
| — | — | 4,358 | $7,557 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,463 | $11,245 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,374 | $3,694 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,909 | $5,198 | Community College | |
| — | — | 7,173 | $13,498 | Community College | |
| — | — | 11,920 | $1,996 | Community College | |
| — | — | 4,585 | $11,481 | Community College | |
| — | — | 9,355 | $4,582 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,412 | $5,719 | Community College | |
| — | — | 8,537 | $7,178 | Community College | |
| — | — | 6,620 | $6,101 | Community College | |
| — | — | 4,871 | $9,090 | Community College | |
| — | — | 5,327 | $8,035 | Community College | |
| — | — | 7,655 | $1,842 | Community College | |
| Peer group median | 35% | — | 6,620 | $7,178 |
Institutions like CVCC
Explore the federal data for institutions in CVCC's comparison group.
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Arizona Western College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,964Net price$9,582View data - Community CollegePennsylvania
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Central Oregon Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment4,332Net price$10,765View data - Community CollegeIllinois
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,121Net price$2,974View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
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Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,901Net price$1,504View data - Community CollegeMaryland
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Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,062Net price$9,867View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
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County College of Morris
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,131Net price$9,259View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Cuyamaca College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,905Net price$6,187View data - Community CollegeNew York
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Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,606Net price$8,433View data - Community CollegeArizona
Estrella Mountain Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment10,109Net price$12,211View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Evergreen Valley College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,336Net price$12,591View data - Community CollegeVirginia
Germanna Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,544Net price$6,239View data - Community CollegeMichigan
Kalamazoo Valley Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,334Net price$2,991View data - Community CollegeOhio
Lakeland Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment4,358Net price$7,557View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Los Angeles Harbor College
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Middlesex Community College
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Mission College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,909Net price$5,198View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Monterey Peninsula College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment7,173Net price$13,498View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
Moreno Valley College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment11,920Net price$1,996View data - Community CollegeIdaho
North Idaho College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment4,585Net price$11,481View data - Community CollegeTexas
Northeast Lakeview College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment9,355Net price$4,582View data - Community CollegeArkansas
NorthWest Arkansas Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,412Net price$5,719View data - Community CollegeNew York
Onondaga Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment8,537Net price$7,178View data - Community CollegeNew Jersey
Rowan College at Burlington County
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment6,620Net price$6,101View data - Community CollegeWashington
South Puget Sound Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment4,871Net price$9,090View data - Community CollegeNew York
SUNY Broome Community College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment5,327Net price$8,035View data - Community CollegeCalifornia
West Valley College
Grad rate—Admit rate—Enrollment7,655Net price$1,842View data
Frequently asked questions about Catawba Valley Community College
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about CVCC.
What is the graduation rate at Catawba Valley Community College?
Catawba Valley Community College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 35% per the latest IPEDS.
How many students attend Catawba Valley Community College?
Catawba Valley Community College reports a total enrollment of 4,904 students per the latest IPEDS.
What is the average net price at Catawba Valley Community College?
The average net price at Catawba Valley Community College is $9,415 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.
Where is Catawba Valley Community College located?
Catawba Valley Community College is located in Hickory, North Carolina 28602-0699.
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