Clarion U of Pa vs Salem State

Clarion University of Pennsylvania and Salem State University, both public universities with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Clarion, nestled in the scenic Allegheny Mountains, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. Salem, located just north of Boston, attracts a more diverse student body, with a higher percentage of international students. While Clarion excels in fields like Business, Education, and Nursing, Salem shines in areas such as Psychology, Social Sciences, and Health Professions. Both universities prioritize student success, with Salem boasting a slightly higher graduation rate. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Clarion University of Pennsylvania	Salem State University
Overview
Location	Clarion, Pennsylvania	Salem, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	75.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	99.2%	90.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	1,642	6,287
Total number of admissions given out	1,629	5,659
Admitted students who chose to enroll	522	939
Yield rate	32.0%	16.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $28,793 Out of state: $33,672	In state: $27,123 Out of state: $33,928
Average net price	$13,840	$18,125
Tuition	In state: $7,716 Out of state: $11,574	In state: $910 Out of state: $7,050
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,590 Meal plan: $4,340	$14,590
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $8,127	91.0% Average amount $7,673
Students receiving federal student loan	56.0% Average amount $5,282	67.0% Average amount $4,984
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $11,498	10.0% Average amount $12,948

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,156 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%	5,555 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%
Graduate students	766 Men 18.9% Women 81.1%	1,576 Men 21.8% Women 78.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	5.4%	N/A
International students	0.6%	2.5%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,745	1,928
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania Ohio Maryland Arizona New York	New York New Hampshire Connecticut Rhode Island Vermont

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Library Science Business Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Education Health Professions Business Public Administration and Social Service Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	55.2%	56.8%
Dropout rate	19.1%	40.8%
Transferred out	24.4%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,036 Year 2: $101,964 Year 3: $97,139 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,882 Year 2: $72,796 Year 3: $73,725 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,702 Year 2: $62,409 Year 3: $66,763 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,741 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $61,720 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,553 Year 2: $51,106 Year 3: $55,540 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $55,648 Year 2: $45,383 Year 3: $55,375 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,672 Year 2: $50,387 Year 3: $52,068 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,736 Year 2: $40,089 Year 3: $50,174 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,419 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $48,591 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,716 Year 2: $43,493 Year 3: $48,524	Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,461 Year 2: $67,660 Year 3: $81,500 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,690 Year 2: $69,261 Year 3: $74,129 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,511 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $69,206 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,183 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $64,195 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,356 Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $61,164 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,191 Year 2: $54,855 Year 3: $59,882 Social Work (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,049 Year 2: $50,606 Year 3: $53,563 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,859 Year 2: $48,302 Year 3: $52,492 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,960 Year 2: $47,729 Year 3: $51,920 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,346 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $51,685

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