Salisbury, North Carolina Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina: median public in-state tuition $18,296 (+221.0% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $45,381 (-23.6% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 92.6% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $26,090 (+93.3% vs U.S.) 6,323 students enrolled statewide.
Overview
Colleges and universities in Salisbury serve students across North Carolina with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 4 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 6,323 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $18,296. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Salisbury, North Carolina and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Salisbury vs North Carolina & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salisbury, North Carolina | $18,296 | $10,838 | $26,090 | 34.3% | 6,323 |
| North Carolina (state median) | $2,630 | $6,250 | $19,500 | 50.0% | 421,744 |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Salisbury, North Carolina vs benchmarks
Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.
| Geography | Median earnings (10 yr) | Working & not enrolled (8 yr) | Retention (FT yr 1) | 2-yr default | 3-yr default | 3-yr repayment progress | Debt ÷ earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salisbury, North Carolina | $45,381 | 92.6% | 74.0% | 12.7% | — | 45.2% | 0.61 |
| North Carolina (state median) | $52,995 | 92.8% | 73.1% | 6.8% | — | 64.8% | 0.43 |
| United States | $59,401 | 93.0% | 76.4% | 5.0% | — | 73.8% | 0.36 |
Other cities in North Carolina (3+ campuses)
Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salisbury, North Carolina | $18,296 | $10,838 | $26,090 | 34.3% | 6,323 | $45,381 | 92.6% |
| Raleigh | $17,690 | $22,902 | $15,222 | 48.6% | 52,098 | $51,143 | 92.9% |
| Charlotte | $20,498 | $25,854 | $19,500 | 48.3% | 44,804 | $61,111 | 92.9% |
| Greensboro | $18,484 | $17,194 | $22,660 | 42.3% | 31,003 | $50,279 | 92.5% |
| Wilmington | $5,019 | $16,961 | $9,500 | 71.6% | 24,818 | $61,019 | 92.9% |
| Wilmington | $5,019 | $16,961 | $9,500 | 71.6% | 24,818 | $61,019 | 92.9% |
| Chapel Hill | $9,095 | $14,602 | $9,210 | 91.1% | 20,950 | $81,094 | 93.8% |
| Greenville | $7,438 | $15,916 | $14,625 | 63.4% | 19,951 | $60,387 | 94.3% |
| Greenville | $7,438 | $15,916 | $14,625 | 63.4% | 19,951 | $60,387 | 94.3% |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 | $59,401 | 93.0% |
Top 2 colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 48.2%, Catawba College
Catawba College
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 20.4%, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
Top 2 colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 93.2%, Catawba College
Catawba College
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 92.0%, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
Top 2 most selective colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 59.2%, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 75.2%, Catawba College
Catawba College
Top 2 colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $76,234, Catawba College
Catawba College
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $32,448, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
Top 2 colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)
Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $60,718, Catawba College
Catawba College
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $46,945, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
Top 2 colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $44,300, Catawba College
Catawba College
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $28,952, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
Top 2 colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $47,891, Catawba College
Catawba College
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $32,926, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
Top 2 colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $52,260, Catawba College
Catawba College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $38,502, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
Top 2 colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina by 10-year ROI
Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $160,657, Catawba College
Catawba College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $112,843, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
Top 2 most affordable colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina (net price)
Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $10,838, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
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Rank 2, Net Price, $15,993, Catawba College
Catawba College
Top 2 colleges in Salisbury, North Carolina by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 77.3%, Catawba College
Catawba College
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 70.6%, Livingstone College
Livingstone College
In-state tuition: Salisbury, North Carolina vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Salisbury, North Carolina median in-state tuition is $18,296, +221.0% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Salisbury, North Carolina vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Salisbury, North Carolina is $26,090 (+93.3% vs U.S. median $13,500). Regional median: $15,558.
Median earnings (10 years out): Salisbury, North Carolina vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Salisbury, North Carolina center around $45,381 (-23.6% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Salisbury, North Carolina vs benchmarks
Working & not enrolled
The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 92.6% at the median Salisbury, North Carolina campus (-0.4 pp vs U.S.).
Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).
Analysis & insights
EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.
Costs & borrowing
Salisbury, North Carolina median public in-state tuition is $18,296, about +221.0% vs the national median. Versus the Southeast region, tuition is +254.8%.
Median graduate debt is $26,090 (+93.3% above the U.S. median of $13,500). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.
Earnings, employment & retention
Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Salisbury, North Carolina are $45,381, about -23.6% vs the U.S. campus median ($59,401).
The median campus reports 92.6% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 93.0% (-0.4 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.
First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 74.0% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.
Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 12.7% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 45.2% (U.S. 73.8%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Catawba College (93.2%), Livingstone College (92.0%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Salisbury, North Carolina is 34.3% (national institution average about 49.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Salisbury?
This city profile covers 4 campuses in Salisbury, North Carolina with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Salisbury?
Median in-state tuition in Salisbury is $18,296 and median net price is $10,838. For North Carolina overall, medians are $2,630 and $6,250; U.S. medians are $5,700 and $9,912.
What do graduates earn in Salisbury?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Salisbury is $45,381 vs $52,995 for North Carolina and $59,401 nationally.
What is student debt like for Salisbury colleges?
Median completer debt in Salisbury is $26,090 vs $19,500 for North Carolina and $13,500 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Salisbury?
Top campuses on this page include Catawba College (graduation) and Catawba College (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Salisbury?
Among 4 campuses in Salisbury, North Carolina, 1 historically Black college or university (HBCU, IPEDS HBCU flag), including Livingstone College; 2 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church (2).
Sources & related
- North Carolina college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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