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University or college · Public

Salem State University

Salem, MA844 online only

Salem State University is a public university in Salem, MA, with about 5,395 students on campus.

Visit www.salemstate.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
5,395
plus 844 studying only online
Admission rate
96%
higher than at 88% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$15,996
lower than at 68% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
50%
lower than at 61% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$56,662
higher than at 81% of U.S. colleges
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Salem State University?

96%

of applicants admitted

About 19 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Salem State University is likely test-optional and admits nearly everyone who applies.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $28,291 a year

Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $19,531

Tuition & fees (in state) $12,338Room & board $16,838Books & supplies $1,200

After grants, the average family on aid pays $15,996.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$13,821

About $55,284 over 4 years · 51% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
50%
within 6 years · Pell students 47%
Come back for year two
75%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$56,662
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$25,000
about $265 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

6.6%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$265 a month against about $4,017 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

61%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 76% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$50k
Middle income$30–75k
$61k
Higher incomeover $75k
$60k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Health professions 18%Business 17%Psychology 10%Public safety 8%Education 8%Biology 7%Everything else 32%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing163 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$96k4 yrs out
Psychology, General138 graduates a year · typical debt $22,749
$55k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods74 graduates a year
$57k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections74 graduates a year · typical debt $21,750
$60k4 yrs out
Biology, General67 graduates a year · typical debt $26,500
$68k4 yrs out
Marketing56 graduates a year
—not reported
Business Administration, Management and Operations50 graduates a year · typical debt $24,250
$68k4 yrs out
Health and Medical Administrative Services38 graduates a year · typical debt $25,000
$55k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

4,291 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 52%Hispanic 25%Black 9%Asian 3%Two or more 4%International 4%

Women and men

Women 64%Men 36%
12 : 1
students per teacher
35%
get Pell grants (lower income)
49%
take federal loans
13%
undergrads 25 or older
13%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Salem

8% of Salem’s 45,381 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Salem pages.

Salem →
SalemSalem, MA
$1,836/momedian rent · 4% above the state$604Ktypical home valueB−Safety Grade20° / 81°January low / July high · 39" of snowA−Health GradeAll colleges in and near SalemCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Salem State University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Montserrat College of ArtUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Beverly
3.3 mi275 students
Endicott CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Beverly
4.3 mi3,226 students
Gordon CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Wenham
7 mi1,403 students
North Shore Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Danvers
7.2 mi3,919 students
Gordon-Conwell Theological SeminaryUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Hamilton
7.9 mi1,081 students
MGH Institute of Health ProfessionsUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Boston
12.2 mi1,125 students
Lawrence Memorial Hospital School of NursingCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Medford
12.5 mi195 students
Cambridge CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Boston · mostly online
12.6 mi758 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.