Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 59/100

Chowan University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Murfreesboro, North Carolina

About Chowan University

Thinking about Chowan University, a college in North Carolina where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Chowan University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Murfreesboro, North Carolina. It enrolls 603 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
68.8%
Graduation
31.7%
Net Price
$14,086
Median Earnings (10yr)
$38,412
Enrollment
603
Student : Faculty
15:1

Accreditor Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
59/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 10
Value 52
Affordability 84
Selectivity 34

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Chowan University admits 68.8% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
68.8%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Chowan University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↑ 4.0 pts since 2019
68.3%201967.4%202079.3%202186.7%202272.4%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $14,086 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$14,086
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
57%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
57%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$27,910
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,734
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,760
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,580
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,996
Total Cost of Attendance
$39,027

Application fee: $20 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $13,726
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $10,950
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $14,549
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $14,565
  • Over $110,000
    $19,713

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,587
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$29,491
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$45,000
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $16,000 ↓ $13,491
No Pell $12,000 ↓ $17,491
Dependent students $15,000 ↓ $14,491
Independent students $20,000 ↓ $9,491
Female students $21,750 ↓ $7,741
Male students $12,000 ↓ $17,491
Pell recipients: 16.5% (4,877 students)No Pell: 12.4% (3,658 students)Dependent students: 15.5% (4,572 students)Independent students: 20.7% (6,096 students)Female students: 22.5% (6,630 students)Male students: 12.4% (3,658 students)Overall Median$29,491
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($29,491), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

32% of students who start here finish within six years, and 63% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
32%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
63%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $38,412 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$38,412
Earning > $25K
65%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$29,000$32,000$34,000$37,000$40,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$34,200

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$37,200

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$32,700

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$34,000

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$40,800

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 22.3 pts across 6 years
51.2%1yr55.1%3yr71.5%5yr73.5%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 73% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 603 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 37% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
603
Part-Time
4%
First-Generation
37%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
Black 48.3% 291
White 28.4% 171
International 9.0% 54
Hispanic 8.8% 53
Other 5.3% 32
Asian 0.3% 2
Black: 48.3% (291 students)White: 28.4% (171 students)International: 9.0% (54 students)Hispanic: 8.8% (53 students)Other: 5.3% (32 students)Asian: 0.3% (2 students)Total603

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Chowan University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Remote Murfreesboro, North Carolina
Housing
Strongly residential 1,518 beds for 603 students
Adult Learners
5% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Recreation & Fitness graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Chowan University offers a varied set of programs: 20 distinct programs across 13 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

3 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 15 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
15:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$78M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$65,172
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

36 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 10 28% $72,206
Associate Professors 11 31% $68,250
Assistant Professors 11 31% $63,142
Instructors 4 11% $44,705

Pros & Cons of Chowan University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Chowan University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Earnings outcomes are on the lower side
  • Higher than typical student debt at graduation
Best for: Based on the data, Chowan University is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Chowan University

The questions families ask most about Chowan University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Chowan University hard to get into?
Admissions at Chowan University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 68.8%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Chowan University?
68.8% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Chowan University cost?
Budget around $14,086 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Chowan University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $38,412 a year against a net price of $14,086, about 2.7 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Chowan University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Psychology, Kinesiology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Chowan University graduates earn?
About $38,412 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Chowan University accredited?
Yes. Chowan University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Chowan University?
603 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Chowan University?
32% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Chowan University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Chowan University located?
Chowan University is located in Murfreesboro, North Carolina.
What programs does Chowan University offer?
20 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Psychology, Kinesiology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Chowan University?
15 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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