Hickory Sun

College tuition fees rose 3.1% in Catawba County in the 2022-23 school year, according to the latest disclosure from the National Center for Education Statistics.

Data shows that students paid $13,304 on average to attend higher education courses at the time, $402 more than the previous school year.

Among the two institutions in the county, Lenoir-Rhyne University stood out with the highest tuition fees, reaching an average of $43,000. Catawba Valley Community College followed with an average of $2,421 per year.

At the time, a total of $14.6 million in grants or scholarships were awarded to full-time undergraduates who started at the Catawba County universities in the 2022-23 school year. Additionally, federal student loans reached $1.6 million.

Undergraduate education costs have seen a significant increase over the past few decades. Data shows a 169% rise in the average total cost, including tuition, fees, room, and board, between 1980 and 2020.

According to a 2023 College Board report, in-state students at public universities paid an average of $11,260, while out-of-state students paid $29,150 in the 2023-24 academic year.

Meanwhile, student loan debt has steadily increased over the last 30 years, reaching $1.75 trillion in 2024, averaging a total of $28,950 per borrower. Federal loans make up 92% of the debt, with over half of students at both public and private four-year colleges graduating with student loans.

Available data sometimes exceeds 100% due to rounding and administrative calculations.

Institution	Number of Students Receiving Grants	Total Amount of Grants Received	Average Amount of Grant Per Student	Number of Students Receiving Loans	Total Amount of Loans Received	Average Amount of Loans Per Student
Lenoir-Rhyne University	373	$12,635,128	$33,874	216	$1,641,765	$7,601
Catawba Valley Community College	189	$2,004,111	$10,604	0	$0	$0