Catawba College vs Elon University

Catawba College and Elon University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in North Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Catawba, a private liberal arts college, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention, while Elon, a private research university, emphasizes experiential learning and global engagement. With Catawba's acceptance rate hovering around 65% and Elon's at 69%, both institutions offer accessible pathways to higher education. While Catawba's student body is predominantly White (78%), Elon's is more diverse, with White students comprising 68% of the population. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details on acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, helping you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Catawba College	Elon University
Overview
Location	Salisbury, North Carolina	Elon, North Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	56.1%	77.7%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	990 - 1150	N/A
ACT range	18 - 26	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	33.0%
Students submitting ACT score	49.0%
Total number of applicants	2,199	17,834
Total number of admissions given out	1,234	13,859
Admitted students who chose to enroll	264	1,591
Yield rate	21.4%	11.5%
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	$46,262	$55,647
Average net price	$19,276	$40,366
Tuition	$32,380	$38,218
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,564 Meal plan: $4,566	Room/dormitory: $6,593 Meal plan: $6,829
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $26,327	67.0% Average amount $13,677
Students receiving federal student loan	63.0% Average amount $5,262	30.0% Average amount $5,259
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $11,314	7.0% Average amount $25,192

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,142 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%	6,302 Men 40.2% Women 59.8%
Graduate students	65 Men 52.3% Women 47.7%	825 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	80.6%
International students	5.2%	2.0%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	688	4,192
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	North Carolina New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Business Legal Profession Health Professions Communication and Journalism Education
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	59.8%	83.3%
Dropout rate	39.5%	16.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,556 Year 2: $104,061 Year 3: $105,320 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,803 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $78,720 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,320 Year 2: $60,016 Year 3: $77,567 Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,276 Year 2: $54,192 Year 3: $77,220 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,564 Year 2: $62,154 Year 3: $76,604 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $68,888 Year 2: $69,629 Year 3: $70,208 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,091 Year 2: $50,022 Year 3: $64,255 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,189 Year 3: $59,817 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,293 Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $58,053 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,055 Year 3: $55,617

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