Salem College
U.S. News Liberal Arts 2027
#160
Acceptance rate
76.7%
2025
Peer median 69.4%
Tuition per year
$33,848
$47,558 with room and board
Peer median $33,770
Undergraduates
464
Student-faculty ratio 9:1
Peer median 11 : 1
Graduation rate
59.8%
4-year; 6-year rate 61.8%
Peer median 45.1%
“Peers” are all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S. (by Carnegie Classification).
About
- Type
- Private nonprofit, 4-year
- Location
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Website
- www.salem.edu
- Undergraduates
- 464
- Student-faculty ratio
- 9 : 1
This collegeRanked colleges nearby
- Setting
- Large city
- Nearest major city
- In Winston-Salem
- Nearest international airport
- Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO), about 15 mi
- Academic calendar
- Semester
- Religious affiliation
- Not applicable
- President
- Gary Daynes (Interim President)
- Phone
- 3367212600
- Address
- 601 S Church St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Rankings & Admission
Peer median 69.4% · all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S.
Test Scores
2025 admitted students, 25th–75th percentile · 6% submitted SAT, 7% submitted ACT · SAT/ACT optional: considered if submitted
How Hard Is It to Get In
about 8 in 10
2,246 applicants in 2025, 76.7% admitted
1,722 admitted 524 not admitted Yield 7.9%
Degrees & Majors
Graduates in 2025 (first major)
U.S. studentsInternational
Popular graduate programs
- Educational Leadership and Administration, General · Master's13 (0% international)
- Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services · Master's7 (0% international)
- Elementary Education and Teaching · Master's5 (0% international)
- Special Education and Teaching, General · Master's1 (0% international)
- English/Language Arts Teacher Education · Master's1 (0% international)
- Social Studies Teacher Education · Master's1 (0% international)
All majors, graduates and earnings IPEDS · College Scorecard
*Depends on whether majors have graduates in 2025 or not, Yes / No
**Move mouse on can check deitaled graudates number, click for major detailed information
***Due to privacy policy, graduate salaries are not shown for some majors that has few gradautes
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual and Performing Arts, General. | - | ||
| Interior Design. | - | ||
| Music, General. | - | ||
| Music Performance, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management, General. | $44,466 |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health and Wellness, General. | - | ||
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, Other. | - | ||
| Public Health, General. | - | ||
| Medical/Health Humanities. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Sciences, General. | - | ||
| Political Science and Government, General. | - | ||
| Sociology, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| English Language and Literature, General. | - | ||
| Creative Writing. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Language and Literature. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology/Biological Sciences, General. | - | ||
| Biochemistry. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Studies. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| History, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics, General. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies, Other. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise Science and Kinesiology. | - |
| Major | Graduate Salary | Under | Master |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry, General. | - |
Students
549 students in 2025 · Undergraduate men to women 0:100 · Freshman retention 67.5%
- Continuing undergraduates 255
- First-year undergraduates 136
- Graduate students 85
- Transfers and others 73
Undergraduate race and ethnicity (464)
Age distribution
Bachelor's
Graduate students
International Students
International share over the last 10 years · gray line: median of all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S.
16 in 2025 · 0.5% in 2016
0 in 2025 · 0.0% in 2016
Cost
2025 cost per year
$47,558
- Undergraduate tuition
- $33,848
- Room and board
- $13,710
- Graduate tuition
- $6,600
Peer median tuition + room and board $46,780 · all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S.
Tuition rose 29% from 2016 to 2025; room and board rose 16%.
Finances · fiscal year 2024
Revenue$27.5M
Expenses$24.4M
Average faculty salary · 2025 (9-month equivalent)
Dark gray ticks: median pay for the same rank at all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S.
Campus Life
Athletics and varsity athletes NCAA · USA South Athletic Conference
USA South Athletic Conference: basketball, cross country
No athlete data available for 2025.
| NCAA Division III without football | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| Softball | - | 22 |
| Volleyball | - | 22 |
| Soccer | - | 20 |
| Basketball | - | 12 |
| Tennis | - | 12 |
No athlete data available for 2023.
Nearby & Safety
Ranked colleges nearby
-
Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem · 3.8 mi
U.S. News #34
-
University of North Carolina at GreensboroGreensboro · 24.2 mi
U.S. News #208
-
North Carolina A&T State UniversityGreensboro · 26.1 mi
U.S. News #219
-
Elon UniversityElon · 41.2 mi
U.S. News #100
-
Davidson CollegeDavidson · 52.8 mi
Liberal Arts #16
-
University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte · 60.5 mi
U.S. News #169
-
University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill · 67.6 mi
U.S. News #27
-
Duke UniversityDurham · 73.1 mi
U.S. News #8
-
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State UniversityBlacksburg · 79.6 mi
U.S. News #52
Peer median 8.9 · all 403 private baccalaureate colleges in the U.S.
Incidents, 2023–2025
From the Clery Act campus safety reports schools file, covering on-campus, non-campus and public property.
Notable Alumni
Notable alumni of Salem College include Celia Weston (Character actress, Independent Spirit Award nominee), Hugh Aynesworth (Journalist who witnessed the JFK assassination aftermath) and Julia C. Howard (North Carolina state representative).
-
Celia Weston 1951–
Character actress, Independent Spirit Award nominee
-
Hugh Aynesworth 1931–2023
Journalist who witnessed the JFK assassination aftermath
-
Julia C. Howard 1944–
North Carolina state representative
-
Carl D. Keith 1920–2008
Chemist, inventor of the three-way catalytic converter
-
Fritz Coleman 1948–
Weathercaster at KNBC Los Angeles
-
Cashavelly Morrison 1981–
American singer and songwriter
References and Data Sources
Data from IPEDS (U.S. Department of Education), U.S. News, THE, QS, ARWU and Clery Act campus safety reports. Data insights are written by the Forward Pathway data team from public data.