Catawba College Acceptance Rate
Salisbury, North Carolina · Private not-for-profit · 4-year or above
- Applicants
- 2,547
- Admitted
- 1,979
- Yield
- 15.6%
- Test policy
- Test-optional
Latest official IPEDS 2023–24 · Updated July 2026
Acceptance rate & applications over time
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.
Over the 10 years of federal data, Catawba College's acceptance rate has risen from 35.9% in 2014–15 to 77.7% in 2023–24. Applications fell from 3,694 to 2,547 (-31%) over that period.
Its 77.7% rate makes Catawba College more selective than about 47% of the 1,419 schools tracked here. Among 53 tracked North Carolina schools, it is more selective than about 43%.
In 2023–24, women were admitted at a higher rate (82.7% for women vs 73.5% for men, a 9.2-point gap). Catawba College has been test-optional since 2020–21. Of admitted students, 15.6% enrolled (the yield rate) in 2023–24.
Full year-by-year table
| Year | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014–15 | 3,694 | 1,326 | 35.9% | 345 |
| 2015–16 | 3,117 | 991 | 31.8% | 308 |
| 2016–17 | 2,528 | 1,190 | 47.1% | 348 |
| 2017–18 | 3,125 | 1,325 | 42.4% | 335 |
| 2018–19 | 3,061 | 1,580 | 51.6% | 335 |
| 2019–20 | 3,335 | 1,651 | 49.5% | 342 |
| 2020–21 | 3,254 | 1,696 | 52.1% | 365 |
| 2021–22 | 2,199 | 1,234 | 56.1% | 264 |
| 2022–23 | 3,199 | 2,146 | 67.1% | 298 |
| 2023–24 | 2,547 | 1,979 | 77.7% | 308 |
Acceptance rate by gender
| Group | Applicants | Admitted | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Women | 1,180 | 976 | 82.7% |
| Men | 1,362 | 1,001 | 73.5% |
SAT / ACT ranges & policy
Test-optional (considered if submitted).
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | % submitting |
|---|---|---|
| SAT EBRW | 500–593 | 13% |
| SAT Math | 510–593 | |
| ACT Composite | 20–25 | 24% |
How Catawba College compares
Where this school sits among peers of similar selectivity — each dot is a school's current acceptance rate on the same scale.
Frequently asked
What is Catawba College's acceptance rate?
Catawba College's acceptance rate is 77.7% for 2023–24, the most recent year of federal IPEDS data (1,979 admitted of 2,547 applicants).
Is Catawba College test optional?
Catawba College is test-optional: SAT/ACT scores are considered if submitted but not required.
How many people apply to Catawba College?
Catawba College received 2,547 applications in 2023–24 and admitted 1,979.
What SAT score do you need for Catawba College?
Admitted students at Catawba College typically scored 500–593 on SAT Reading/Writing and 510–593 on SAT Math (middle-50% ranges).
Is Catawba College getting harder to get into?
Catawba College has become easier to get into: its acceptance rate went from 35.9% in 2014–15 to 77.7% in 2023–24.
How this is calculated
Acceptance rate = admitted ÷ applicants, first-time degree-seeking undergraduates, from the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS Admissions (ADM) survey; institution details from the IPEDS Institutional Characteristics (HD) survey. Data span: 2014–15 to 2023–24. Official site: www.catawba.edu/.