Winston-Salem State University

Public · Moderately Selective · NC

Photo: Martkm17 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationNC · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads4,170

Student:faculty15:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate30%

6-yr grad rate46.7%

Drop-out rate22.8%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$6k

Out-of-state tuition$17k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity95.1%

Gender diversity73.6%

International0.7%

IdentityHBCU

Overview

Winston-Salem State University is a public historically Black university in North Carolina's Piedmont Triad, part of the UNC System, with a campus culture built on close community and HBCU tradition. Health sciences give it a distinct professional focus alongside a conventional liberal-arts core.

Academics

Nursing and allied health are the clear signature, supported by close ties to the Novant and Atrium health systems that give students clinical placement and employment pathways in the region. Education and business are other established programs.

Campus & student life

Homecoming, marching band, and Greek life carry real weight in campus culture, consistent with HBCU tradition more broadly, and the Winston-Salem setting keeps the campus connected to a mid-sized North Carolina city rather than a rural or purely urban environment.

Getting in

Admission review is holistic but accessible, with particular attention to health-sciences applicants given the competitiveness of nursing seats, and the university is known for supporting first-generation students through the transition to college.

After graduation

Health-sciences graduates are heavily recruited by regional hospital systems, and the alumni network carries real weight within North Carolina's HBCU and health-care communities.

wssu.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate78.3%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 830–1020 · ACT 15–20

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying