Quad
Catawba CollegeSalisbury, NC · Private nonprofit

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Business Administration and Management, General (19% of graduates). 13 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 50% of colleges. 81% of faculty are full-time. Spends $12,087 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

249 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 55% of graduates; 30 programs in 17 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Business Administration and Management, General 52.020119% 47
    Graduates in this field earn $60,718 4 years out
  2. Exercise Science and Kinesiology 31.050511% 28
    Graduates in this field earn $44,296 4 years out
  3. Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching 13.12098.8% 22
    Graduates in this field earn $48,982 4 years out
  4. Biology/Biological Sciences, General 26.01018.0% 20
    Graduates in this field earn $52,583 4 years out
  5. Environmental Science 03.01047.6% 19
    Graduates in this field earn $42,505 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Parks, recreation, and kinesiology, 4.5% → 18% of graduates since 2014–15 (44 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$70,522 1 yr out

    1 year after completion: $70,522

    4 years after completion: Too few graduates to report

    Median federal debt: $25,000 · 38 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. Business Administration, Management and Operations$60,718 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $46,068

    4 years after completion$60,718
    National median: $68,257Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $55,236 · Non-Pell: $74,036(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $23,250 · 94 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Biology, General$52,583 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: Too few graduates to report

    4 years after completion$52,583
    National median: $57,214Below typical

    4 years out, Pell: $32,898 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $25,863 · 41 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$48,982 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $38,071

    4 years after completion$48,982
    National median: $47,382About typical

    4 years out, Pell: $36,379 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $19,000 · 54 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Communication and Media Studies$48,181 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $32,323

    4 years after completion$48,181
    National median: $56,359Below typical

    Median federal debt: $24,625 · 15 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college13 to 1
13 to 1
← Fewer students per facultyfewer students per faculty member than 50% of 1,892More students per faculty →

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Full-time faculty81%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$78,091

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other private nonprofit colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable.

Instruction spending per student$12,087
$12,087
← Lessmore than 59% of 1,199More →
Endowment per student$312,060
$312,060
← Lessmore than 92% of 1,065More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)