WSU-Worcester vs Salem State

Worcester State University and Salem State University, both esteemed public universities in Massachusetts, offer distinct educational experiences. Worcester State boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. Salem State, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. While both universities offer a diverse range of majors, Worcester State excels in STEM fields, while Salem State shines in liberal arts and education programs. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, tuition fees, and campus life, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Salem State University	Worcester State University
Overview
Location	Salem, Massachusetts	Worcester, Massachusetts
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
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%	73.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	90.0%	89.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	1030 - 1193
ACT range	N/A	23 - 24
Students submitting SAT score		13.0%
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	6,287	3,446
Total number of admissions given out	5,659	3,078
Admitted students who chose to enroll	939	756
Yield rate	16.6%	24.6%
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)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $27,123 Out of state: $33,928	In state: $19,554 Out of state: $25,634
Average net price	$18,125	$12,853
Tuition	In state: $910 Out of state: $7,050	In state: $970 Out of state: $7,050
Room & board	$14,590	Room/dormitory: $8,573 Meal plan: $3,995
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	91.0% Average amount $7,673	94.0% Average amount $4,529
Students receiving federal student loan	67.0% Average amount $4,984	58.0% Average amount $4,816
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $12,948	12.0% Average amount $10,578

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,555 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%	4,640 Men 38.4% Women 61.6%
Graduate students	1,576 Men 21.8% Women 78.2%	777 Men 17.8% Women 82.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	2.5%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,928	1,584
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York New Hampshire Connecticut Rhode Island Vermont	Mississippi Connecticut Rhode Island New Hampshire Vermont

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Public Administration and Social Service Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Education Health Professions Business Law Enforcement and Firefighting Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.8%	60.9%
Dropout rate	40.8%	13.1%
Transferred out	N/A	24.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,399 Year 2: $68,821 Year 3: $76,249 Biotechnology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,547 Year 3: $67,589 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,868 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $61,253 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $60,590 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,554 Year 2: $54,974 Year 3: $59,253 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $49,644 Year 3: $56,781 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,231 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $55,176 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,792 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $53,760 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,556 Year 2: $40,501 Year 3: $51,886 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,699 Year 2: $42,580 Year 3: $51,212

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.

WSU-Worcester vs Salem State

Salem State University

Worcester State University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

Compare Similar Colleges

Find Colleges By State

Resources

About