Regional college
Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte
Charlotte, NC · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $27,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $26,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.49%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,007 · ACT 19.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$14,543
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 paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $58,022 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
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) | 1,128 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 35% · Women 65% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 35% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 69% |
| Total students | 1,128 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $27,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $58,022 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 49% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 54% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 56% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 68% |
| First-year retention | 72% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $43,418 |
| Admission rate | 80% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,538 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 52% |
| Average SAT | 1007 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 450–570 |
| SAT math | 430–560 |
| ACT composite | 16–23 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Solid (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 |
|---|---|
| Accounting | |
| Marketing | |
| Business administration | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Culinary arts | |
| Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations | |
| Communication studies | |
| Foods, Nutrition, | |
| Entrepreneurship |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services, Food Science and Technology, Health sciences, Liberal arts, Nursing, Psychology, Public health.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Family and consumer sciences | |
| Culinary and personal services | |
| Psychology | |
| Parks, recreation and fitness |
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 3% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 3% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $14,800 |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 14 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 7%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 100%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $8,042IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 62% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)About 5 miles away · about 20 minutes by car |
| Town population | 903,844Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | CharlotteIn or next to this city |
| Typical weather | 42°F in January · 80°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Charlotte Douglas Airport, NC, about 6 miles away |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Questions families ask
- What is Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte’s Compass Score?
- Solid (grade C+). 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 Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $27,000 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 Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte?
- Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte admitted 80% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Johnson & Wales University-Charlotte’s graduates do?
- 49% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $43,418; the median federal debt at graduation is $26,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 445708
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (diverse fields)
- Accreditation: New England Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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