Private Nonprofit · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carlow University

Carlow University is a private nonprofit institution in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Former students earn a median of $51,051 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $20,786/yr — as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.

$51,051
10-yr median earnings
87.0%
Acceptance rate
$20,786
Avg net price / yr
57.6%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Carlow University pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 28%
former-student earnings, US
87.0%
acceptance rate
57.6%
150%-time completion
+14%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large Carnegie: Master's (L)

Carlow University is a private nonprofit institution in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania enrolling 1,348 undergraduates, using College Scorecard institution data retrieved in July 2026. The acceptance rate is 87.0% with an average SAT of 1,080. Federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $51,051 ten years after entry. Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort is $20,786. This profile combines source fields with separately labeled PlainCollege comparisons and derived metrics.

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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Carlow University

Carlow University operates as a private nonprofit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (city: large), with a reported undergraduate enrollment of 1,348 students. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile's peer group and cost cohort are determined; Carlow University is categorized as "Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs" under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Admissions and cost fields are IPEDS-derived values published through the Scorecard and retain their source reporting periods. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; the income-band fields provide more context but still do not replace an institution's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-derived records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year; the entry cohort includes completers and noncompleters. IPEDS completion and retention rates use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so their denominator is not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not as a causal verdict or an individual forecast.

College Value Score

C-
College Value Score
52/100
Carlow University

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings B
$51,051
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$20,786
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate C-
57.6%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$25,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B+
73.7%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention B
84.4%
First-year students returning for year two
Carlow University vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$51,051

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$20,786

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

57.6%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 57.6%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Carlow University vs peers

Carlow University positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Carlow University positioned by earnings vs … Carnegie Classification: Master's (L) Master's (… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $43K $91K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $18K $45K Avg Net Price ($) Carlow University (you are here): $51K earn · $21K net · 58% grad You are here - Carlow University Bryn Mawr College: $75K earn · $32K net · 84% grad Bryn Mawr College Immaculata University: $76K earn · $24K net · 68% grad Immaculata Univers… Washington & Jefferson College: $68K earn · $25K net · 70% grad Washington & Jeffe… Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster: $87K earn · $42K net · 68% grad Saint Joseph's Uni… Haverford College: $80K earn · $25K net · 90% grad Haverford College Saint Vincent College: $60K earn · $24K net · 70% grad University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus: $66K earn · $30K net · 85% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How Carlow University ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

Carlow University: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$51,051 Top 28% higher than 72% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Quick Facts

1,348
Undergraduate enrollment
87.0%
Acceptance rate
1,080
SAT average
57.6%
150%-time completion
$51,051
10-yr median earnings
84.4%
First-year retention

Admissions

Admission Rate 87.0%
SAT Average 1,080
SAT Math (25th-75th) 460 – 570
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 500 – 598
ACT Average 23

Share of applicants admitted

0%100%87%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $35,874
Out-of-State Tuition $35,874
Average Net Price $20,786

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $17,901
$30,001 – $48,000 $15,748
$48,001 – $75,000 $19,517
Over $110,000 $25,214
43.0%
Pell Grant Rate
69.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$25,500
Median Debt
$270/mo
Monthly Payment

Net price at Carlow University swings rather than trends

Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $17,005 to $21,190 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +11.9%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.

Lowest year
$17,005
Highest year
$21,190
Most recent (2023)
$20,822
Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $18,6162014: $18,0612015: $18,2072016: $18,1172017: $17,1272018: $19,7252019: $20,0022020: $21,1902021: $19,5812022: $17,0052023: $20,822
2013 · $18,6162023 · $20,822

Over the same years, enrollment went -10.7% (1,496 → 1,336 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

84.7%
Female
36.8%
First Generation

Outcomes

57.6%
150%-Time Completion
84.4%
Retention Rate
$44,876
Median Earnings (6yr)
$51,051
Median Earnings (10yr)
69.1%
Earning Over $25K
73.7%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Top programs at Carlow University by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Biology, General Bachelor's 24 $134,677 $27,000
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Master's 60 $110,845 $54,092
Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities Master's 23 $108,621 -
Security Science and Technology Master's 9 $95,368 $34,166
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 129 $86,258 $24,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations Master's 23 $82,739 $41,000
Accounting and Related Services Bachelor's 3 $76,099 $21,500
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 10 $65,696 $27,000
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions Master's 29 $57,187 $55,109
Social Work Bachelor's 8 $47,486 -
Psychology, General Bachelor's 20 $44,786 $28,361
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's 14 $42,498 $27,000
Special Education and Teaching Graduate Certificate 1 - -
Student Counseling and Personnel Services Master's 0 - -
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Master's 31 - -

Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Carlow University?
Carlow University is a private nonprofit institution in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The acceptance rate is 87.0%. The average SAT score is 1,080. Undergraduate enrollment is 1,348 students.
How much do Carlow University former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Carlow University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $51,051 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $44,876.
How much does Carlow University cost?
The average net price at Carlow University is $20,786. In-state tuition is $35,874 and out-of-state tuition is $35,874. Median student debt at graduation is $25,500.
What is the graduation rate at Carlow University?
Carlow University has a 57.6% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 84.4%.
Is Carlow University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Carlow University is $25,500, while former students earn a median of $51,051 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 50% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 73.7% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $270.

Sources & methodology

Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.

Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Carlow University

  • Carlow University's reported 10-year former-student earnings land in the 72nd percentile among reporting colleges.
  • The average net price after aid is $20,786 - compare it against schools with similar outcomes but a lower cost.Find similar schools that cost less
  • See how this school compares to every other college in Pennsylvania.Browse Pennsylvania

Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.