Catawba Valley Community College

Hickory, North Carolina · Public

Of 14 assessed programs, 12 leave graduates out-earning a typical North Carolina high-school graduate (about $34,059/yr) and 2 fall short. Another 47 could not be assessed.

What would this cost you?

My family earns and I expect to take

Family income	Net price per year
Under $30k	$9,170
$30k to $48k	$9,639
$48k to $75k	$13,129
$75k to $110k	$15,469
All families (average)	$10,528

Net price is the yearly cost after grants and scholarships, by family income (College Scorecard). It reflects students who received federal aid.

Program earnings vs a high-school graduate

14 of 61 programs could be assessed 23% have an earnings verdict

Programs by earnings versus a typical North Carolina high-school graduate.
Program	Degree	Median earnings	vs a high-school grad	Verdict	Median debt	Years to repay	Recent completers
Liberal Arts and General Studies	Associate's Degree	$41,497	+$7,438	clears the bar	$5,500	0.7 yrs	612
Business Administration	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$43,380	+$9,321	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	194
Healthcare Administration	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$35,653	+$1,594	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	86
Nursing	Associate's Degree	$66,385	+$32,326	clears the bar	$5,500	0.2 yrs	79
Precision Metalworking	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$43,883	+$9,824	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	52
Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment	Associate's Degree	$58,094	+$24,035	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	46
Criminal Justice	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$43,919	+$9,860	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	44
Business Administration	Associate's Degree	$43,089	+$9,030	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	37
Accounting	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$43,703	+$9,644	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	37
Cosmetology	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$25,908	-$8,151	falls short	insufficient data	insufficient data	20
Dental Assisting and Hygiene	Associate's Degree	$66,069	+$32,010	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	17
Healthcare Administration	Associate's Degree	$36,141	+$2,082	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	17
Teacher Education (by level)	Associate's Degree	$27,722	-$6,337	falls short	insufficient data	insufficient data	10
Allied Health Diagnostics and Treatment	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	$53,870	+$19,811	clears the bar	insufficient data	insufficient data	8
Computer and Information Science	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	83
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	57
Auto Repair Technology	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	44
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	29
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	29
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	29
Electrician Training	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	27
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	21
Human Development and Family Studies	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	16
Precision Metalworking	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	15
HVAC Technology	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	14
Accounting	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	13
Computer and Information Science	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	12
Electromechanical Technologies/Technicians	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	12
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	11
Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	11
Auto Repair Technology	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	11
Teacher Education (by level)	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	7
Kinesiology and Physical Education	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	7
Design	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	7
Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	6
Security Science and Technology	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	6
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	5
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	5
Engineering, General	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	4
Fire Protection	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	4
Homeland Security	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	3
Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Kinesiology and Physical Education	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Criminal Justice	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Fire Protection	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Homeland Security	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Security Science and Technology	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	2
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologies/Technicians	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Liberal Arts and General Studies	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
HVAC Technology	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	1
Computer Programming	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Information Science	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
IT Administration and Management	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	0
Information Science	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other	Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Precision Metalworking	Non-Credential Program (Preparatory Coursework/Teacher Certification)	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data
Mental Health and Counseling Services	Associate's Degree	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data	insufficient data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release 2026-06-10. Earnings are medians measured four years after completion, compared with the state high-school-graduate benchmark ($34,059/yr). Debt is federal loans only. Suppressed values are shown as insufficient data, never imputed. Figures describe past graduates and are never a promise.