Salem University is a private for-profit institution offering graduate degrees based in Salem, West Virginia. It enrolls 892 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Open / Online). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Good
57/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes22
Value43
Affordability71
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Admissions data is not yet reported for Salem University.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Salem University isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $12,303 per year. That's below the typical net price for private for-profit colleges nationally.
Average Net Price
$12,303
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
75%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
72%
Borrowing to attend
Full Cost Breakdown
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$11,900
Room & Board (on-campus)
$8,400
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,400
Books & Supplies
$960
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,000
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,000
Total Cost of Attendance
$18,650
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$9,886
$30,001 – $48,000
$10,753
$48,001 – $75,000
$11,154
$75,001 – $110,000
$14,107
Over $110,000
$14,716
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$1,75010%percentile
$4,75025%percentile
$24,694Medianpercentile
$16,22675%percentile
$33,70090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $7,296
↓ $17,398
No Pell $10,686
↓ $14,008
Dependent students $10,156
↓ $14,538
Independent students $6,267
↓ $18,427
Female students $9,500
↓ $15,194
Male students $5,500
↓ $19,194
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,293, less than completers ($24,694), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
20% of full-time students who enrolled at Salem University graduate within six years, and 53% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
6-Year Graduation Rate
20%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
53%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Salem University earn a median of $34,642 ten years after first enrolling. That's below the national median for U.S. colleges.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$34,642
Earning > $25K
55%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$32,400
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$36,300
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
41.2 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 76% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Salem University is home to 892 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 54% are first-generation college students.
Total Enrolled
892
Part-Time
8%
First-Generation
54%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 60.3%538
Black 12.3%110
International 10.3%92
Hispanic 4.3%38
Other 0.7%6
Asian 0.6%5
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Salem University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Setting
Rural: DistantSalem, West Virginia
Housing
Mostly residential367 beds on campus
Adult Learners
49%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Other Academic Yearscheduling structure
What You Can Study
Salem University offers
a varied set of programs:
19 distinct programs across
7 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Salem University is 16:1, close to the national average.
Student : Faculty
16:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$30,753
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
27 instructional faculty across 3 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
10
37%
$48,426
Associate Professors
13
48%
$24,059
Assistant Professors
4
15%
$8,324
Pros & Cons of Salem University
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Salem University tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
PROS
Below-average net price
Reasonable class sizes
Tight-knit, close community feel
Wide reach of need-based federal aid
First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Below-average post-graduation earnings
Most students take on federal loans
Best for:
Based on the data, Salem University is a fit for
students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Salem University
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Salem University.
How much does Salem University cost?
The average net price after aid at Salem University is $12,303 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Salem University worth it?
Moderate return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $34,642 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $12,303 per year. That's roughly 2.8x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Salem University known for?
Salem University is best known for its programs in Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Salem University graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Salem University are $34,642, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
Is Salem University accredited?
Yes. Salem University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Salem University?
Salem University enrolls 892 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Salem University?
Salem University graduates 20% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Salem University a public or private college?
Salem University is a Private For-Profit institution.
Where is Salem University located?
Salem University is located in Salem, West Virginia.
What programs does Salem University offer?
Salem University offers 19 distinct programs. The most popular include Business Administration, Business Administration, Business Administration.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Salem University?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Salem University is 16:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in West Virginia
Other colleges in West Virginia share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.