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🎓 College profile

Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte

NC · Private nonprofit · Large city · 4,677 applicants 2023

75% admit rate SAT 920–1140 $58,022/yr full price
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🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

  • Students focused on Business, Management, & Marketing (the school's signature program)
  • Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 920, or ACT below 16 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Total enrollment
1,184
1,000 - 4,999
TuitionThe published full price before any aid. Families who don't qualify for need-based aid — common above ~$110K income — pay this, minus any merit scholarships.
$42,419
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)

⚠️ Sticker price isn't every family's price. Lower- and middle-income families often pay materially less after grants; higher-income families frequently pay close to sticker unless the college offers merit scholarships. Check the school's own net-price calculator for your number.

Admit rateThe share of applicants a college accepts. Useful context, but your student's odds depend on their own grades and scores, not the average.
75.3%
Accessible
SAT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
920–1140
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%The middle half of enrolled students scored in this range — a quarter scored BELOW the low end and still got in, and a quarter scored above the high end. Above the top number is a genuine strength; below the bottom isn't automatic rejection.
16–22
composite
Test policyApplicants choose whether to send SAT/ACT scores. At many such colleges, students who submit strong scores are still admitted at higher rates.
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earningsMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$43,418
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$35,802
Earnings, 10 yrs after entryMedian yearly pay of former students ten years after they STARTED here — not ten years after graduating — all majors combined. The broadest single outcome number a college reports.
$43,418
4-year completionThe share of students who finish a bachelor's in four years. Nationally barely half do — and a fifth year quietly adds a full extra year of cost to the real price.
49%
Median debt (completers)The federal-loan balance of the typical graduating borrower. Families who pay cash aren't counted, so read it as "among those who borrowed."
$26,000

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
58 degrees · 43.6%
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Family & Consumer Sciences
51 degrees · 38.3%
Nutrition, dietetics, child & family services, hospitality.
3. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness
15 degrees · 11.3%
Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.
4. Agriculture
6 degrees · 4.5%
Farm management, food science, ag-business operations. Wide range based on path.
5. Communication, Journalism, & Related
3 degrees · 2.3%
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.

💼 What those majors earn here

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major — Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte's own graduates, not national averages.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 2 $45,450 $73,476
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 5 $41,544 $64,321
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 21 $39,917 $59,186
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management. Bachelor's Degree 23 $30,963 $56,241
Hospitality Administration/Management. Bachelor's Degree 8 $33,374 $55,790
Culinary Arts and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 1 $32,775 $55,056
Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations. Bachelor's Degree 11 $27,168 $53,539
Communication and Media Studies. Bachelor's Degree — $28,062 $51,247
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 55 $32,586 $50,571
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations. Bachelor's Degree 16 $30,996 $47,042

Sources: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a; bachelor's-level first majors, 2-digit CIP family — share is of the top 5 only) · College Scorecard program-level outcomes (PP-FOS). Full college-vs-major comparison: /college-outcomes →

Alternatives to Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools publish merit scholarships your family can plan around — your kid’s stats could unlock real scholarship dollars.
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
30 stats-based + 1 competitive scholarships
University of Mississippi
MS · Public
14 stats-based + 1 competitive scholarships
University of Louisville
KY · Public
13 stats-based + 6 competitive scholarships
💰 Lower full price
Similar selectivity, but a meaningfully lower full sticker price — the comparison that matters most for families who won't qualify for much need-based aid.
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr full price (in-state) · $48,854 less before aid
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$11,837/yr full price (in-state) · $46,185 less before aid
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
GA · Public
$13,956/yr full price (in-state) · $44,066 less before aid
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state and similar selectivity, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Western Carolina University
NC · Public
87% admit rate (vs 75% here)
Appalachian State University
NC · Public
89% admit rate (vs 75% here)
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
NC · Public
90% admit rate (vs 75% here)

⚖️ Or compare any college side-by-side

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