Catawba College vs Shaw University

Catawba College and Shaw University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Catawba, a private liberal arts college, boasts a 68% acceptance rate, while Shaw, a private historically Black university, maintains a 58% acceptance rate. Catawba's student body is predominantly White (78%), while Shaw's is predominantly Black (86%). Both institutions offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Catawba including Business, Education, and Psychology, and popular majors at Shaw including Business, Education, and Social Work. Catawba's four-year graduation rate stands at 59%, while Shaw's is at 39%. To help you make an informed decision about your academic journey, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two institutions. Explore the table to discover which college aligns best with your aspirations and goals.

	Catawba College	Shaw University
Overview
Location	Salisbury, North Carolina	Raleigh, North Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	58.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation		Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	56.1%	65.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $25 Graduate: $50
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	2,435
Total number of admissions given out	1,234	1,591
Admitted students who chose to enroll	264	142
Yield rate	21.4%	8.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$46,262	$30,270
Average net price	$19,276	$15,498
Tuition	$32,380	$11,808
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,564 Meal plan: $4,566	Room/dormitory: $3,842 Meal plan: $4,672
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $26,327	99.0% Average amount $15,344
Students receiving federal student loan	63.0% Average amount $5,262	70.0% Average amount $5,858
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $11,314	1.0% Average amount $13,812

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,142 Men 47.9% Women 52.1%	998 Men 42.8% Women 57.2%
Graduate students	65 Men 52.3% Women 47.7%	143 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	5.2%	6.2%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	688	1,144
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Business Theology Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Law Enforcement and Firefighting Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	15:1
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%	16.3%
Dropout rate	39.5%	81.0%
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	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,104 Year 2: $29,866 Year 3: $37,072 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,535 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $35,008 Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,305 Year 3: $31,328 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $21,703 Year 3: $28,828 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,994 Year 2: $20,140 Year 3: $26,669 Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,795 Year 2: $23,340 Year 3: N/A

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Catawba College vs Shaw University

Catawba College

Shaw University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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