Location: Salisbury, NC•In-State Tuition: $33,400•Admission Rate: 78%•Avg SAT: 1136
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$36,235
Est. from NC median (10 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$24,994
Est. from national median (56 programs)

Analysis

Based on comparable chemistry programs across North Carolina, graduates here can expect to start around $36,200—roughly $6,400 below the national median for chemistry bachelor's degrees. When you look at NC State ($47,071) or East Carolina ($47,875), the gap becomes more pronounced. The estimated $25,000 in debt sits near national norms, but that debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69 reflects the compressed starting salaries rather than excessive borrowing.

The concern isn't the debt load itself—it's competitive with peer institutions—but rather why first-year earnings would lag so far behind when chemistry is typically a strong STEM credential. This could reflect regional salary differences in North Carolina, the types of employers Catawba graduates connect with, or lab preparation that doesn't immediately translate to higher-paying industrial positions. Chemistry majors often need graduate school for the best opportunities anyway, which changes the calculus if your child is planning that path from the start.

If your child is set on chemistry and staying in-state, compare Catawba's specific lab facilities, research opportunities, and industry connections against larger programs. Those $47,000 starting salaries at NC State and ECU suggest the potential is there in North Carolina—the question is whether Catawba's program positions graduates to capture it, or whether the smaller scale limits access to those higher-paying entry points.

Where Catawba College Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all chemistry bachelors's programs nationally

Catawba College (estimated ±10%)Other chemistry programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Compare to Similar Programs in North Carolina

Chemistry bachelors's programs at peer institutions in North Carolina (42 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Catawba CollegeSalisbury$33,400$36,235*—$24,994*—
East Carolina UniversityGreenville$7,361$47,875*$55,980$24,250*0.51
North Carolina State University at RaleighRaleigh$8,895$47,071*—$20,154*0.43
University of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmington$7,317$44,473*$53,767$19,935*0.45
Appalachian State UniversityBoone$7,541$40,488*$51,055$24,949*0.62
University of North Carolina AshevilleAsheville$7,461$36,891*$43,113$12,825*0.35
National Median—$42,581*—$24,000*0.56
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with chemistry graduates

Natural Sciences Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate activities in such fields as life sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, statistics, and research and development in these fields.

$161,180/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Clinical Research Coordinators

Plan, direct, or coordinate clinical research projects. Direct the activities of workers engaged in clinical research projects to ensure compliance with protocols and overall clinical objectives. May evaluate and analyze clinical data.

$161,180/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Water Resource Specialists

Design or implement programs and strategies related to water resource issues such as supply, quality, and regulatory compliance issues.

$161,180/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Computer and Information Research Scientists

Conduct research into fundamental computer and information science as theorists, designers, or inventors. Develop solutions to problems in the field of computer hardware and software.

$140,910/yrJobs growth:Master's degree

Data Scientists

Develop and implement a set of techniques or analytics applications to transform raw data into meaningful information using data-oriented programming languages and visualization software. Apply data mining, data modeling, natural language processing, and machine learning to extract and analyze information from large structured and unstructured datasets. Visualize, interpret, and report data findings. May create dynamic data reports.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Business Intelligence Analysts

Produce financial and market intelligence by querying data repositories and generating periodic reports. Devise methods for identifying data patterns and trends in available information sources.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Clinical Data Managers

Apply knowledge of health care and database management to analyze clinical data, and to identify and report trends.

$112,590/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Chemists

Conduct qualitative and quantitative chemical analyses or experiments in laboratories for quality or process control or to develop new products or knowledge.

$86,620/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses pertaining to the chemical and physical properties and compositional changes of substances. Work may include providing instruction in the methods of qualitative and quantitative chemical analysis. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching, and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in environmental science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Physics Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses pertaining to the laws of matter and energy. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.

$80,060/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree
About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Catawba College, approximately 39% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 10 similar programs in NC. Actual outcomes may vary.