Regional university
#8 Most affordable colleges with strong academics in PennsylvaniaCarlow University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $20,786 a year
Median debt at graduation: $25,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- Undergraduate Nursing Visit DayNovember 7, 2026 · 9:00 am - 2:00 pm · A.J. Palumbo Hall of Science and TechnologyMore about Undergraduate Nursing Visit DayAdd to calendar
- Admissions Open HouseNovember 21, 2026 · 9:00 am - 2:00 pm · A.J. Palumbo Hall of Science and TechnologyMore about Admissions Open HouseAdd to calendar
- Virtual Event: Transfer TodayDecember 3, 2026 · 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm · OnlineMore about Virtual Event: Transfer TodayAdd to calendar
- Virtual Event: Transfer TodayJanuary 6, 2027 · 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm · OnlineMore about Virtual Event: Transfer TodayAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events · From the college's admissions website.
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In Pennsylvania
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.60%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.84%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,080
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.12 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,746
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $49,327 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,344 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 16% · Women 84% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 37% |
| Total students | 2,310 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $20,786 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $49,327 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $25,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 60% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 49% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 51% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 57% |
| First-year retention | 84% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $51,051 |
| Admission rate | 87% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,077 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 43% |
| Average SAT | 1080 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 500–598 |
| SAT math | 460–570 |
| ACT composite | — |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Biology | |
| Nursing | |
| Accounting | |
| Business administration | |
| Social work | |
| Psychology | |
| Teacher education |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Broadcasting, Chemistry, Communication studies, Computing and information science, Criminology, Data Analytics, English, Fine arts, Health administration, History, Human resources, Kinesiology and exercise science, Liberal arts, Mathematics, Neuroscience, Other communication, journalism, and related programs, Philosophy, Political science, Public health, Public relations, Rehabilitation and therapy, Secondary education, Sociology, Speech-language pathology, Theology, Writing and rhetoric.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Health professions | |
| Biology | |
| Education | |
| Psychology | |
| Business |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 23% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 32% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $13,808 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Navy · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 12 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 12%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 100%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $30,119IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 30% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)About 15 miles away · about 35 minutes by car |
| Town population | 304,759Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | PittsburghIn or next to this city |
| Typical weather | 30°F in January · 74°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Pittsburgh Allegheny Co Airport, PA, about 6 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Carlow University’s Compass Score?
- Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 46% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Carlow University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $20,786 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Carlow University?
- Carlow University admitted 87% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Carlow University’s graduates do?
- 60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $51,051; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 211431
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Roman Catholic
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Carlow vs Mercyhurst · Carlow vs Mount Mercy · Carlow vs Saint Xavier · Carlow vs Georgian Court
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