# Salem State University

Public college in Salem, MA. IPEDS ID 167729.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/salem-state-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/salem-state-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 96% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $15,996 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 50%; beats 15% of MA colleges and 41% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $56,662; beats 34% of MA colleges and 61% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $19,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $10,516 |
| 30-48k | $13,870 |
| 48-75k | $13,821 |
| 75-110k | $17,590 |
| 110k+ | $23,223 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.32 years on average (41% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $56,662 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $39,880 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MA (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $10,516 | $45,429 | 2.7 years |
| 30-48k | $13,870 | $59,918 | 3.6 years |
| 48-75k | $13,821 | $59,707 | 3.6 years |
| 75-110k | $17,590 | $75,989 | 4.5 years |
| 110k+ | $23,223 | $100,323 | 6.0 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $28,291 in-state; about $35,484 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $12,338 in-state, $19,531 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $16,378; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 4,852 applicants, 4,637 admitted, 810 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 96%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 96%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

### Common Data Set 2025-26 (Fall 2025)
- Very important: gpa; important: none; considered: none
- Early decision: not reported; early action: yes; waitlist: no
- Aid (full-time first-years): average 75.24% of need met; 71 of 618 with need fully met; merit aid to students without need: 158 students, average $2,360
- Source: https://www.salemstate.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/CDS-2025-2026.pdf

## Majors (58 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $80,641 | $95,550 | $28,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $57,706 | $92,380 | $27,000 |
| Chemistry | $49,439 | $81,266 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $46,897 | $67,789 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $45,670 | $67,551 | $27,000 |
| Mathematics | not reported | $61,259 | not reported |
| Social Work | $45,450 | $60,026 | $27,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $44,812 | $59,774 | $26,220 |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | $59,424 | not reported |
| Geography | $32,504 | $58,593 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | not reported | $58,499 | not reported |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | not reported | $56,509 | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | $55,808 | $27,000 |
| Health Administration | $40,506 | $55,323 | $26,500 |
| Psychology | $36,492 | $54,717 | $26,435 |
| Sociology | $39,822 | $51,573 | $30,690 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $31,755 | $51,362 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $26,180 | $50,397 | $27,000 |
| Communications | $34,302 | $50,260 | $27,000 |
| History | $29,307 | $49,572 | $27,000 |
| Education | $33,065 | $45,568 | $27,000 |
| English | $32,844 | $43,621 | $27,000 |
| Visual and Performing Arts | $24,699 | $32,484 | $27,000 |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Relations and Advertising | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biotechnology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy and Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology (Clinical / Counseling) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Fire Protection | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Dance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Film and Photography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Laboratory Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Accounting | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Finance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Hospitality Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Resources | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International Business | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Information Systems | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Science / Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Marketing | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $135,640 (Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH), $134,720 (MA), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $106,180 (Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH), $104,550 (MA), $97,550 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).