Salem State University

Public · Moderately Selective · MA

Photo: MF1953 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationMA · Northeast

SettingSuburban

Undergrads4,291

Student:faculty12:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate36%

6-yr grad rate49.8%

Drop-out rate24.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$12k

Out-of-state tuition$20k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity48%

Gender diversity63.6%

International3.7%

Identity—

Overview

Salem State University is a public university in Salem, Massachusetts, on the North Shore and a short commuter-rail ride from Boston. It began as a normal school for training teachers and has grown into a comprehensive public university that still serves a largely local, first-generation, and commuting student population.

Academics

Teacher education and nursing remain the university's deepest institutional strengths, reflecting its normal-school origins, and both fields place a substantial share of the region's public-school teachers and nurses. Business and criminal justice are also solidly enrolled, career-oriented programs.

Campus & student life

Salem's identity as the historic center of the 1692 witch trials and the country's foremost Halloween destination shapes campus life every October, when the city fills with visitors and events well beyond anything the university itself organizes. Many students commute or live nearby, and the Boston commuter-rail connection means the city functions as an extension of campus life for those willing to make the trip.

Worth knowing

October in Salem is unlike any other month on campus, with the city's Halloween tourism economy affecting everything from parking to part-time job availability for students living in the area.

salemstate.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate95.9%

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot used

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying