Doctoral/ProfessionalPrivate nonprofit

Gardner-Webb University

Boiling Springs, North Carolina·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·gardner-webb.edu
6-yr Graduation
55%
-2.5pp vs Doctoral/Professional
Total enrollment
3,104
peer median 3,339
Avg net price
$24,137
+$348 vs Doctoral/Professional
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
5,212
5,212 candidates competed
Admitted
4,024
77.2% acceptance rate
Enrolled
450
11.2% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
55%-2.5pp vs Doctoral/Professional
4-year graduation
48%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
54%
Full-time retention
55%

Pell equity

18.0pp gap
Pell recipients
48%
Non-Pell
66%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 18.0-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 82 Title IV programs, 24 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 58 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
82
Passing
24
29.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

82programs
  • Passing24 · 29.3%
  • No Data58 · 70.7%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
1
Safe
22
No data
58

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.

24
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+2.9%
$56,338 vs $54,745
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+11.7%
$35,982 vs $32,203
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
+32.9%
$60,926 vs $45,831
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+33.3%
$42,936 vs $32,203
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+40.1%
$45,110 vs $32,203
Accounting and Related Services
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+44.4%
$79,048 vs $54,745
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+46.2%
$47,089 vs $32,203
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+50.6%
$48,505 vs $32,203

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+2.9%
+$1,593

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

22
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
99%
$55,998 debt · $56,338 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
77%
$96,895 debt · $125,727 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Doctoral Degree · Education
64%
$60,618 debt · $94,213 earn
Curriculum and Instruction
Doctoral Degree · Education
62%
$48,927 debt · $78,398 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Doctoral Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
61%
$51,207 debt · $84,386 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
60%
$27,000 debt · $45,110 earn
Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
58%
$25,000 debt · $42,936 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
56%
$27,000 debt · $48,505 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 1948Next review Dec 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 7

Action history · 17

  1. Aug 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (CLNUR) - Clinical Doctorate
  2. Jun 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology
  3. Jun 2024Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Jun 2024Heightened Monitoring or Focused Review
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Apr 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools · Theology (THEOL) - Freestanding schools, as well as programs affiliated with larger institutions, offering graduate professional education for ministry and graduate study of theology

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$21,744
$30–48k$19,750
$48–75k$19,334
$75–110k$25,534
$110k+$27,952

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$24,137
+$348vs Doctoral/Professional median $23,789
Federal loans
54.9%
In-state tuition
$33,450
Out-of-state
$33,450

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 888 students received $5.1M in Pell grants, alongside $25.9M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
888
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$5.1M
$5,055,743 total
Direct Loans
$25.9M
2,807 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.3M
832 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$3.7M
893 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$12.4M
777 loan awards
Parent PLUS$2.1M
129 loan awards
Grad PLUS$4.5M
176 loan awards

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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 1,252 borrowers who entered repayment, 23 (1.8%) defaulted within three years below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.8%
-0.5pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
1,252
Defaulted
23
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
7.1%
2017
7.8%
2018
3.7%
2019
1.8%
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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Gardner-Webb

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs63
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

887 total completions
01Education
23326.3%
02Business
22325.1%
03Health Professions
18520.9%
04Psychology
687.7%
05Biological Sciences
445.0%
06Parks/Recreation
424.7%
07Public Admin
283.2%
08Security/Protective
283.2%
09Foreign Languages
192.1%
10Communication
171.9%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
3,104
12-mo unduplicated
3,485
Undergraduate
1,979
Graduate
1,506

Gender split

Men
33%1,160
Women
67%2,325

Race / ethnicity composition

White
49.8%
Unknown
26.5%
Black
15.8%
Hispanic
4.0%
Two or more
2.0%
Asian
1.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%
Non-resident
0.2%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
497
312 M · 185 W
Women athletes
37.2%
Athletic aid
$8.0M
Total student aid
Budget
$14.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$4.9M
$3.1M
Recruiting expense
$95K
$48K
Head-coach salaries
$67K
$46K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 14

Football
113 M ·
$3.6M
Soccer
27 M · 39 W
$1.2M
Swimming
29 M · 24 W
$882K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
26 M · 24 W
$950K
Track and Field (Indoor)
22 M · 24 W
$93K
Baseball
43 M ·
$705K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.59
5 offenses · 3,144 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.001 yr ago1.59Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
5
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
3
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
4
Fondling
1

By location

5total
  • On campus5

Includes 5 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
1
Stalking
1 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons13
Drugs016
Liquor1104

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Data quality: 2 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
12.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
139

Gardner-Webb vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Gardner-Webb selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
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
SubjectGardner-Webb University
55%3,104$24,137Doctoral/Professional
Wingate University
46%91.1%3,458$21,371Doctoral/Professional
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
17%74.6%3,220$6,608Doctoral/Professional
Campbell University
60%87.2%4,963$23,991Doctoral/Professional
Elon University
84%66.3%7,239$41,048Doctoral/Professional
Bellarmine University
64%86.1%2,886$23,587Doctoral/Professional
Peer group median57%86.1%3,339$23,789

Frequently asked questions about Gardner-Webb University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Gardner-Webb.

What is the graduation rate at Gardner-Webb University?

Gardner-Webb University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 55% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Gardner-Webb University?

Gardner-Webb University reports a total enrollment of 3,104 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Gardner-Webb University?

The average net price at Gardner-Webb University is $24,137 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Gardner-Webb University?

Gardner-Webb University's yield rate is 11.2%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Gardner-Webb University located?

Gardner-Webb University is located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina 28017-0997.

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