Salem College

Winston-Salem, NC · Private

Official website

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Admission rate

Salem College admitted 76.7% of applicants university-wide (1,722 of 2,246).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide76.7%1,7222,246
In-state66.7%400600
Out-of-state50.0%190380
International applicants50.0%1020

Also offers Early Action (closes Nov 15) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 1,722 admitted students, 136 enrolled (7.9% yield).

Salem College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1066–1243
ACT (mid-50%)
16–22
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.003.74

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

Salem College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $52,308/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$33,848
Fees, housing, food, books & other$18,460
Sticker cost of attendance$52,308/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$19,074
$30k–48k$16,001
$48k–75k$16,147
$75k–110k$19,940
Over $110k$24,027

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Presidential ScholarshipUp to $25,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Dean's ScholarshipUp to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Founders ScholarshipUp to $18,000 per year (Merit)
  • Salem ScholarshipUp to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Honors Scholarship$10,000 per year (Merit)
  • Distinguished Scholar Award$5,000 per year (Merit)
  • Salem College GrantVaries (Need Based)

International applicants

Some aid available for internationals.

  • International Student ScholarshipUp to $25,000 per year (International Aid)
  • Presidential ScholarshipUp to $25,000 per year (Presidential)
  • Dean's ScholarshipUp to $20,000 per year (Merit)
  • Founders ScholarshipUp to $18,000 per year (Merit)
  • Salem ScholarshipUp to $15,000 per year (Merit)
  • Honors Scholarship$10,000 per year (Merit)
  • Distinguished Scholar Award$5,000 per year (Merit)

Salem College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Personal Essay
  • Teacher Recommendations
  • List of Extracurricular Activities
  • Official Academic Transcripts
  • Official TOEFL or SAT scores, or ALA certificate
  • Dean's Release for College and University Transfers

International applicants

  • Personal Essay
  • Teacher Recommendations
  • List of Extracurricular Activities
  • Official Academic Transcripts
  • Official TOEFL or SAT scores, or ALA certificate
  • Dean's Release for College and University Transfers
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

Salem College · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

Salem College requires no supplemental essays.

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$44,640
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
57.4%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
68%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$26,649
At graduation

Salem College · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News Liberal Arts: #143

Deadlines

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Visual & performing arts (16%), Business & marketing (14%), Social sciences (11%).

Student–faculty ratio: 10:1 · 70% of class sections have under 20 students.

Salem College U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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