Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a public institution offering associate degrees based in Salisbury, North Carolina. It enrolls 4,164 students (a mid-sized student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (2-Year). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
60/100
UCD Score · 2-Year
Outcomes27
Value60
Affordability48
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
As a two-year college, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College generally admits all qualified applicants.
Acceptance Rate
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Rowan-Cabarrus Community College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $7,981 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$7,981
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
28%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
0%
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 (in-state)
$2,064
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$6,672
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,196
Books & Supplies
$1,800
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$8,526
Total Cost of Attendance
$17,338
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
$6,580
$30,001 – $48,000
$7,494
$48,001 – $75,000
$8,903
$75,001 – $110,000
$13,074
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.
$2,00010%percentile
$3,67525%percentile
$9,458Medianpercentile
$13,20075%percentile
$19,00090%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 $9,008
↓ $450
No Pell $5,500
↓ $3,958
Dependent students $4,048
↓ $5,410
Independent students $9,503
—
Female students $9,408
—
Male students $5,500
↓ $3,958
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,968, close to what completers borrow ($9,458) but without the degree to show for it.
Graduation Rate & Retention
12% of full-time students who enrolled at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College graduate within six years, and 59% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
12%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
59%
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
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Rowan-Cabarrus Community College earn a median of $34,936 ten years after first enrolling. That's below the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$34,936
Earning > $25K
58%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
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
$25,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$33,500
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,400, about 25% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
What this means:
Solid return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$4.4 of median earnings 10 years out.
Who Studies Here
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is home to 4,164 students, a mid-sized community. Some distinctive traits: 47% are first-generation college students, 68% study part-time.
Total Enrolled
4,164
Part-Time
68%
First-Generation
47%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 49.6%2,067
Black 23.3%969
Hispanic 17.6%732
Other 3.8%160
International 2.6%109
Asian 1.3%55
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Large SuburbSalisbury, North Carolina
Housing
Commuter campusNo on-campus housing
Adult Learners
22%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semesterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
43 distinct programs across
14 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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is 13:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$7,631
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$286,252
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$57,317
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
174 instructional faculty across 1 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
No Rank
174
100%
$57,317
Pros & Cons of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Rowan-Cabarrus Community College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Very affordable net price after aid
Open admissions
Reasonable class sizes
Low typical debt at graduation
First-gen-friendly student body
Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Below-average post-graduation earnings
Mostly part-time student body, less full-time campus feel
Best for:
Based on the data, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; families focused on keeping net cost low; working adults or students needing part-time study options.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College.
Is Rowan-Cabarrus Community College hard to get into?
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has open or near-open admissions. Most qualified applicants are accepted.
What is the acceptance rate at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College?
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has an acceptance rate of 0%, according to College Scorecard 2023-24 admissions data.
How much does Rowan-Cabarrus Community College cost?
The average net price after aid at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is $7,981 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Rowan-Cabarrus Community College worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $34,936 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $7,981 per year. That's roughly 4.4x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Rowan-Cabarrus Community College known for?
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is best known for its programs in Liberal Arts, Nursing, Information Systems. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Rowan-Cabarrus Community College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Rowan-Cabarrus Community College are $34,936, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Rowan-Cabarrus Community College accredited?
Yes. Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
How many students attend Rowan-Cabarrus Community College?
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College enrolls 4,164 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College?
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College graduates 12% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Rowan-Cabarrus Community College a public or private college?
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a Public institution.
Where is Rowan-Cabarrus Community College located?
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is located in Salisbury, North Carolina.
What programs does Rowan-Cabarrus Community College offer?
Rowan-Cabarrus Community College offers 43 distinct programs. The most popular include Liberal Arts, Nursing, Information Systems.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is 13:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in North Carolina
Other colleges in North Carolina share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
