Catawba College vs. Ship

Should I go to Catawba College or Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Catawba College or Ship is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Catawba College vs. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania comparison
Catawba College Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
Catawba College Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
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Overview

Catawba College Ship
Location Salisbury, NC Shippensburg, PA
Setting Distant Town Distant Town
Enrollment 1,172 5,162
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #515 #666
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website catawba.edu ship.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Catawba College Ship
Tuition (In State) $32,868 $9,570
Tuition (Out of State) $32,868 $10,048
Room & Board $11,576 $11,538
Avg Net Price $19,701 $21,462
Avg Grant Aid $26,913 $7,593
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 91%

Admission

Catawba College Ship
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,199 6,367
Admitted 2,146 5,590
Acceptance Rate 67.1% 87.8%
Enrolled % 13.9% 19.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.64 3.23
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Moderate Moderate
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/27
SAT Range 1000/1210 980/1210
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Required to be considered for admission
Application Deadline Aug 15, 2025

Academics

Catawba College Ship
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (32%)
  • Education (20%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (12%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Communication (5%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

Catawba College Ship
Graduation Rate 54% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,000 $47,200
Making Student Loan Payments 60% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $258

Diversity

Catawba College Ship
% Men 48% 47%
% Women 52% 53%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 69% 78%
% Black 19% 10%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 3% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 1%

Students

Catawba College Ship
% In-State 61% 90%
% Out-of-State 34% 10%

Campus

Catawba College Ship
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Catawba College based on total student enrollment (5,162 students vs. 1,172 students)

Catawba College vs. Ship Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Catawba College or Ship?

  • Catawba College is 243.4% more expensive to attend than Ship for in-state tuition ($32,868.00 vs. $9,570.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 227.1% higher at Catawba College than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ($32,868.00 vs. $10,048.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Catawba College than Ship ($19,701 vs. $21,462)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania are 0.3% lower than costs at Catawba College ($11,538 vs. $11,576)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Catawba College than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (100% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Catawba College students is 254.4% larger than aid received Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ($26,913 vs. $7,593)

Catawba College vs. Ship Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Catawba College or Ship? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Ship or Catawba College .

  • The average SAT score at Catawba College (990) is 11 points higher than at Ship (979)
  • Incoming Catawba College students have at the same average ACT score (21) as students at Ship (21)
  • Accepted freshman Catawba College students have a 0.41 point higher average high school GPA (3.64) than students at Ship (3.23)
  • Ship has a higher acceptance rate (87.8%) than Catawba College (67.1%)

Catawba College vs. Ship Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Catawba College or Ship? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Ship and Catawba College.

  • The graduation rate at Ship is higher than Catawba College (60% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania earn on average $5,200 more per year than Catawba College graduates after ten years. ($47,200 vs. $42,000)
  • Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and Catawba College graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($25,000 vs. $25,000)
  • Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and Catawba College graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($258 vs. $258)
  • More Ship graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Catawba College students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 60%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/