$56,662
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Salem State University is a public 4-year college in Salem, Massachusetts with 4,291 undergraduates and 1,363 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $15,996 a year (tuition and fees $12,338 in-state, $19,531 out-of-state). It admits 96% of applicants and 50% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $56,662 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $25,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$15,996
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$12,338
Out-of-state $19,531
Admission rate
96%
US median 78%
Completion rate
50%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$25,000
About $265 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$56,662
Rank 987 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $15,996
- Tuition in-state
- $12,338
- Tuition out-of-state
- $19,531
- Cost of attendance
- $28,291
- Students with a need-based grant
- 35%
- Students with federal loans
- 49%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $10,516
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $13,870
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $13,821
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $17,590
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $23,223
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $9,246 in 2015-16 to $12,338 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 96%
- Undergraduates
- 4,291
- Graduate students
- 1,363
- Part-time students
- 13%
- Women
- 64%
- Students per teacher
- 12
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Retention rate
- 75%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 103
- Endowment
- $69.6M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 987 of 5,094 US colleges and 48 of 106 in Massachusetts (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MA median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $15,996 | $24,402 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $12,338 | $34,256 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 96% | 71% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 50% | 69% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 75% | 79% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $25,000 | $21,882 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $48,209 | $46,320 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $56,662 | $53,104 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 61% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 78% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
103 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 163 | $27,000 | $80,641 | $95,550 | $88,910 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 138 | $22,749 | $36,492 | $54,717 | $50,706 |
| Social WorkMaster's | Master's | 121 | $40,594 | $59,851 | $69,819 | $65,123 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 74 | Withheld | Withheld | $56,509 | $47,382 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 74 | $21,750 | $44,812 | $59,774 | $55,378 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 72 | $15,041 | $52,341 | $60,928 | $59,916 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 67 | $26,500 | $45,670 | $67,551 | $57,214 |
| Education, GeneralGraduate certificate | Graduate certificate | 59 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasMaster's | Master's | 57 | $16,500 | $59,390 | $72,560 | $63,707 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 56 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $24,250 | $46,897 | $67,789 | $68,257 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's | Master's | 48 | $32,512 | $56,644 | $69,495 | $65,184 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 38 | $25,000 | $40,506 | $55,323 | $58,716 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Social WorkBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $24,991 | $45,450 | $60,026 | $51,790 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,792 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | $26,250 | $57,706 | $92,380 | $92,374 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | $26,250 | $32,844 | $43,621 | $48,590 |
| Education, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 25 | $25,500 | $33,065 | $45,568 | $49,808 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $25,450 | $29,307 | $49,572 | $50,680 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesMaster's | Master's | 22 | $40,844 | $51,929 | $57,817 | $60,111 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Special Education and TeachingOnlineMaster's | Master's | 20 | $19,649 | $58,024 | $63,889 | $64,397 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesMaster's | Master's | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's | Master's | 19 | $20,658 | $43,968 | $62,341 | $71,685 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Salem and Massachusetts on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Massachusetts
- Homes: Homes for sale in Massachusetts
Questions and answers
How much does Salem State University cost?
$15,996 a year is the average net price at Salem State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $12,338 for in-state students and $19,531 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $28,291. Families earning under $30,000 pay $10,516 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Salem State University?
96% of applicants are admitted to Salem State University. The median admission rate of colleges in Massachusetts is 71%.
How much do Salem State University graduates earn?
$56,662 a year is the median pay of former Salem State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($48,209 after 6 years). That ranks 987 of 5,094 US colleges and 48 of 106 in Massachusetts. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's) at $107,751.
How much student debt do Salem State University graduates have?
$25,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Salem State University graduates, about $265 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 49% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Salem State University?
50% of first-time, full-time students at Salem State University finish within 6 years. 75% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Salem State University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (163 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (138 bachelor's graduates), Social Work (121 master's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 103 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.