Rankings & Recognitions | Catawba College
Rankings & Recognitions
We're very proud to be ranked as one of the best colleges of our type in the nation.
View our current college rankings below:
The Princeton Review's Best Colleges
Catawba College is again cited as
one of the nation's best colleges
in The Princeton Review's
Best 391 Colleges guide 2026 edition
, based on various student-centered metrics, including cost, value, academics, and quality of life.
Catawba College is also included on their
Green Colleges
list.
#4 Best College in the South by U.S. News & World Report
Catawba College is ranked
number 4 among the Best Colleges in the South
, according to the 2026 edition of "Best Colleges," published by U.S. News & World Report. Catawba was recognized as
#4 Best Colleges in the South,
#2 Most Innovative Colleges in the South,
#23 Best Value Schools in the South,
and
#24 Top Performers on Social Mobility in the South.
“A” Rating in Forbes Financial Grades Ranking
Catawba College received an
“A” rating
in the
2024 Forbes College Financial Grades
ranking. This annual rankings assess the operational viability and balance sheet strength of over 900 private colleges across the United States.
Colleges of Distinction
Catawba College is recognized among the
nation's 2025-2026 Colleges of Distinction
for an unwavering commitment to providing an exceptional undergraduate education and its dedication to fostering hands-on learning, strong student-faculty relationships, an active campus community, and stellar student outcomes. Already recognized by Colleges of Distinction for its innovative approach to education, Catawba College has also been recognized for its commitment to
affordability
compared to other institutions, its strong undergraduate degrees in
business
and
education
, and in the area of
Career Development
for its commitment to helping students advance in their desired careers.
Recognitions and Achievements in Sustainability
Catawba College is proud to share the successes and recognitions we have achieved from our sustainability efforts and commitment. View our rankings and achievements in the area of Sustainability below:
Our Sustainability Recognitions & Successes
STARS Gold Rating For Sustainability Achievement
Catawba College has earned a
STARS Gold rating
in recognition of its sustainability work from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). STARS, the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System measures and encourages sustainability in all aspects of higher education.
Affordable College of Distinction
Catawba College is recognized as an
Affordable College of Distinction
for our affordable programming in relation to our peer institutions. This recognitions is selected by Colleges of Distinction based on the quality and breadth of hands-on experiences in lieu of the popular rankings model.
Washington Monthly’s Annual College Guide and Rankings
Catawba was ranked among the
nation's
Best Bachelor’s Colleges
by Washington Monthly’s 2024 College Guide and Rankings based on factors including graduation rate, earnings gap, net price of attendance, social mobility, research, and service.
It was also among the
2024 Best Bang for the Buck Rankings: Southeast.
The Princeton Review's "Great College Theatre" List
Catawba is recognized as
one of only 50
institutions included in the
The Princeton Review's
list of schools with
Great College Theater
based on student ratings of their campus theater productions. This reflects Catawba’s longstanding recognition by
The Princeton Review
of our strong theater program.
N.C.'s Best Value Colleges
Catawba is ranked
19th
among private colleges in North Carolina as one of the
30 best value colleges and universities
in the state in 2021 by Online Communications' BestValueSchools.com.
Best Online College and Degrees by Forbes Advisor
Catawba College is recognized by Forbes Advisor as
one of the best colleges in 2024
in
multiple categories
Best North Carolina Online Colleges
Best Master’s In Mental Health Counseling Online
Best General Studies Degree Online
Top Schools for Online Master’s Degrees
Catawba is recognized as
one of the best schools for online master’s degrees
in 2024 by OnlineMastersDegrees.org in the following subject areas:
Most Affordable Online MBA Degrees
Best Online MBA Degree Programs in North Carolina
Best Online Part-Time MBA Programs
Most Affordable Online Master’s Degrees
Best Colleges in North Carolina
Niche.com
rated Catawba as one of the Best Colleges in North Carolina in its 2022 listing.
Best-In-Class Colleges
Catawba College is recognized as
one of the best baccalaureate colleges in the United States
by
Best-In-Class Colleges
. This ranking considers a range of essential metrics, including student retention, on-time graduation, earnings after college, low debt, and more.
Best Nursing Programs
Catawba College’s Nursing School is the
Ranked
#1 Nursing School in North Carolina
by
RegisteredNursing.org
Catawba College's RN to BSN program ranks
#4
on the
16 Best RN to BSN programs in North Carolina for 2024
list published by
allnurses
, based on factors including affordability, duration, flexibility, and more.
Catawba College's RN to BSN program is one of the
most affordable
RN to BSN programs for 2025
, according to the list published by
Intelligent
, based on factors including tuition costs, faculty, reputation, student resources, and admission, retention, and graduation rates.
Best Online Master's in Mental Health Counseling
Catawba College is ranked
#1
for
Best Online Master's in Mental Health Counseling Programs
, according to BestColleges.com.
Best Psychology Degrees
Catawba was ranked among the
most affordable small colleges
for a
psychology degree
in the U.S. by Best Psychology Degrees.
Most Affordable Sports Management Degrees
Catawba was ranked among the
most affordable small southern colleges
for a
Sports Management degree
in the U.S. by Sports-Management-Degrees.com.
Site Menu
Your Path Starts Here.
A center for sustainability, a powerhouse of the arts, and a leader in the sciences, business, and more. With 70+ academic programs — there’s nowhere Catawba can’t take you.
Discover The Good
US