Salem College
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions and students who want small classes and close faculty access. earnings-to-debt ratio is tight. financial aid brings net price below sticker; 55% of students receive Pell Grants — strong access mission.
About This School
Salem College is a private nonprofit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina with approximately 423 undergraduate students enrolled. Salem College has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 77%. The average net price after financial aid is $18,277 per year. The graduation rate is 57%, and the typical graduate earns $37,400 within 10 years of enrollment.
Salem College is a private women's liberal arts college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1772 as a primary school, it later became an academy and ultimately added the college. It is the oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college and the oldest women's college in the United States.
The numbers tell a mixed story here: the affordable net price of $18,835/year and modest debt load are genuine strengths, but a 56% graduation rate and 67% freshman retention rate suggest a meaningful chunk of students don't finish — worth asking hard questions about why. For those who do complete their degree, median earnings of $37,400 a decade out are modest, so this makes the most sense for students drawn to Salem's women's college mission and small community rather than those chasing high-earning career outcomes.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 13 | $68,431 | $68,257 | +$174 |
| Psychology, General | 10 | $49,464 | $50,706 | −$1,242 |
| Education, General | 4 | $47,488 | $49,808 | −$2,320 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 3 | $45,560 | $55,378 | −$9,818 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Worth scrutinizing. Median earnings relative to debt are tight.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (423 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Salem College is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Salem College?
Salem College has an acceptance rate of 77%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Salem College hard to get into?
Not especially. Salem College has an acceptance rate of 77%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Salem College cost?
The average net price at Salem College is about $18,277 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Salem College?
Salem College has a graduation rate of 57%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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