10-yr median earnings
$32,864
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Carolina University
Carolina University is a private nonprofit institution in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $32,864
- 10-yr median earnings
- 39.5%
- Acceptance rate
- $20,828
- Avg net price / yr
- 24.3%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
Carolina University pairs modest former-student earnings with a selective admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- 27th pct.
- former-student earnings, US
- 39.5%
- acceptance rate
- 24.3%
- 150%-time completion
- +7%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: Master's (S)
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Carolina University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Small Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
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; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
F
College Value Score
29/100
Carolina 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 F
$32,864
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$20,828
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
24.3%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$20,287
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
69.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
56.4%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$20,828
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
24.3%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 24.3%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Carolina University vs peers
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 Carolina 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.
Carolina University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$32,864 27th percentile higher than 27% of 5,103 US colleges
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
| Metric | Carolina University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $32,864 | #3744 of 5103 | 27th |
| Average net price | $20,828 | #3257 of 5020 | 35th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 24.3% | #4536 of 4858 | 7th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 460 | #2928 of 5462 | 46th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
460
Undergraduate enrollment
39.5%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
24.3%
150%-time completion
$32,864
10-yr median earnings
56.4%
First-year retention
How Carolina University ranks in North Carolina
State rank among 147 reporting North Carolina colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Carolina University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $32,864 | #110 of 147 | 25th |
| Average net price | $20,828 | #110 of 146 | 25th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 24.3% | #135 of 142 | 5th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 460 | #107 of 153 | 30th |
Highest former-student earnings in North Carolina
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke University | $97,800 | $29,612 |
| 2 | Chamberlain University-North Carolina | $92,405 | $38,436 |
| 3 | Davidson College | $81,400 | $17,379 |
| 4 | Wake Forest University | $78,158 | $28,719 |
| 5 | Elon University | $74,545 | $41,555 |
| 6 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | $72,200 | $11,655 |
| 7 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | $68,758 | $17,303 |
| 8 | Carolinas College of Health Sciences | $64,624 | - |
| 9 | Galen Health Institutes-Asheville | $61,480 | $28,602 |
| 10 | High Point University | $61,389 | $38,707 |
| 11 | Cabarrus College of Health Sciences | $58,708 | $17,618 |
| 12 | Queens University of Charlotte | $57,673 | $30,857 |
| 110 | Carolina UniversityThis school | $32,864 | $20,828 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 39.5% |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Carolina University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$17,738 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$17,560 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$22,993 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$24,152 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Carolina University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $17,575 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $17,575 |
| Average Net Price | $20,828 |
37.3%
Pell Grant Rate
44.6%
Federal Loan Rate
$20,287
Median Debt
$215/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at Carolina University swings rather than trends
Across 8 reported years between 2016 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $13,004 to $18,866 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +13.2%, 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
$13,004
Highest year
$18,866
Most recent (2023)
$18,866
8 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2016 · $16,6692023 · $18,866
Over the same years, enrollment went +43.7% (295 → 424 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2016–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
48.4%
Female
32.7%
First Generation
Outcomes
56.4%
Retention Rate
$30,657
Median Earnings (6yr)
43.5%
Earning Over $25K
69.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 24.3% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 56.4% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $30,657 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $32,864 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 43.5% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 69.6% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $20,287 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $215/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 4 | 73 | $47,927 | $56,995 | $20,360 |
| Doctoral | 1 | 12 | $115,630 | $115,630 | $56,798 |
| Master's | 1 | 10 | $51,238 | $51,238 | - |
Top programs at Carolina University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Philosophy
Philosophy
$115,630 median earnings
- Bible/Biblical Studies
Bible/Biblical Studies
$56,995 median earnings
- Theological and Ministeria…
Theological and Ministerial Studies
$51,238 median earnings
- Theological and Ministeria… $38,859
Theological and Ministerial Studies
$38,859 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.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | Doctoral | 12 | $115,630 | $56,798 |
| Bible/Biblical Studies | Bachelor's | 39 | $56,995 | $21,029 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | Master's | 10 | $51,238 | - |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | Bachelor's | 3 | $38,859 | $19,691 |
| Religious Education | Bachelor's | - | - | - |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's | 31 | - | - |
Nearby Schools
Salem College
Winston-Salem, NC
423 students
University of North Carolina School of the Arts
Winston Salem, NC
945 students
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC
4,170 students
Winston Salem Barber School
Winston-Salem, NC
29 students
Forsyth Technical Community College
Winston-Salem, NC
7,113 students
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Carolina University? ▼
Carolina University is a private nonprofit institution in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The acceptance rate is 39.5%. Undergraduate enrollment is 460 students.
How much do Carolina University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Carolina University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $32,864 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $30,657.
How much does Carolina University cost? ▼
The average net price at Carolina University is $20,828. In-state tuition is $17,575 and out-of-state tuition is $17,575. Median student debt at graduation is $20,287.
What is the graduation rate at Carolina University? ▼
Carolina University has a 24.3% 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 56.4%.
Is Carolina University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Carolina University is $20,287, while former students earn a median of $32,864 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 62% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 69.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $215.
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.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Carolina University
- Compare Carolina University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in North Carolina side by side.Browse North Carolina
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
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.