Johnson C Smith University

Charlotte, North Carolina

Private Nonprofit City: Large

Johnson C Smith University is a private nonprofit institution in Charlotte, North Carolina enrolling 1,244 students, according to the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. The acceptance rate is 45.2%. Graduates earn a median of $42,680 ten years after enrollment, based on U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid data. The average net price after financial aid is $20,894. This profile includes admissions data, graduation rates, program-level earnings, and cost breakdowns to help students compare colleges using official federal data.

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Johnson C Smith University

Johnson C Smith University operates as a private nonprofit institution located in Charlotte, North Carolina (city: large), with a total reported enrollment of 1,244 students of which 1,293 are undergraduates. 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. Johnson C Smith University is categorized as “21” under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Selectivity and financial signals give context to what applicants can expect. The reported admission rate is 45.2%, drawn from the most recent IPEDS Fall enrollment survey. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $20,894, with published in-state tuition of $21,300 and a Pell grant recipient share of 69.5%. Median federal student debt at graduation is $30,000, drawn from the U.S. Treasury-matched College Scorecard file.

Outcomes reveal whether the investment pays back. The 4-year completion rate is 34.2%, and the first-year retention rate is 71.3%. Graduates earn a median of $42,680 ten years after enrolling, compared with $31,478 six years post-enrollment. Within three years of entering repayment, 116700.0% of borrowers are making progress on their federal loans, and 41.8% of graduates earn above the high-school threshold. Treating these numbers as a single snapshot alongside the cost cohort is the standard approach for evaluating ROI under the College Scorecard methodology.

Quick Facts

1,244
Total enrollment
45.2%
Acceptance rate
SAT average
34.2%
4-yr graduation rate
$42,680
10-yr median earnings
71.3%
First-year retention

Admissions

Admission Rate 45.2%

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $21,300
Out-of-State Tuition $21,300
Average Net Price $20,894

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $19,940
$30,001 – $48,000 $21,165
$48,001 – $75,000 $21,005
Over $110,000 $29,050
69.5%
Pell Grant Rate
74.6%
Federal Loan Rate
$30,000
Median Debt
$318/mo
Monthly Payment

Student Demographics

White 0.6%
African American 80.5%
Hispanic or Latino 0.5%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.6%
Pacific Islander 0.2%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.2%
International 2.3%
58.6%
Female
36.4%
First Generation

Outcomes

34.2%
4-Year Completion Rate
71.3%
Retention Rate
$31,478
Median Earnings (6yr)
$42,680
Median Earnings (10yr)
41.8%
Earning Over $25K
116700.0%
Loan Repayment (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Social Work Master's 25 $61,497 $41,000
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 59 $51,371 $31,742
Criminology Bachelor's 16 $46,215 $30,500
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness Bachelor's 16 $44,678 $28,750
Biology, General Bachelor's 27 $42,595 $26,000
Communication and Media Studies Bachelor's 20 $40,600 $31,000
Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's 16 $39,741 $29,500
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's 18 $38,941 $30,500
Social Work Bachelor's 12 $26,933 $32,889
Psychology, General Bachelor's 7 $24,421 $31,000

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admissions statistics for Johnson C Smith University?
Johnson C Smith University is a private nonprofit institution in Charlotte, North Carolina. The acceptance rate is 45.2%. Total enrollment is 1,244 students.
How much do Johnson C Smith University graduates earn?
Graduates of Johnson C Smith University earn a median of $42,680 ten years after enrollment. Six years after enrollment, median earnings are $31,478.
How much does Johnson C Smith University cost?
The average net price at Johnson C Smith University is $20,894. In-state tuition is $21,300 and out-of-state tuition is $21,300. Median student debt at graduation is $30,000.
What is the graduation rate at Johnson C Smith University?
Johnson C Smith University has a 4-year completion rate of 34.2%. The first-year retention rate is 71.3%.
Is Johnson C Smith University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Johnson C Smith University is $30,000, while graduates earn a median of $42,680 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 70% of first-year post-graduation earnings. 116700.0% of borrowers are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $318.

Data Sources

Data as of 2024-25 academic year. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Primary: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. Data reflects most recent available year.

Institutional characteristics: IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) institutional characteristics file.

Earnings: Median earnings 6 and 10 years after enrollment, from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid data.

Program data: Credential-level earnings from the College Scorecard Field of Study dataset.

All federal data sources used on this page

Earnings data sourced from IRS records via the U.S. Treasury–Department of Education matching used by the College Scorecard.