Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsPrivate (for-profit)

Salem University

Salem, West Virginia·Private for-profit, 4-year or above·Southeast·salemu.edu
6-yr Graduation
20%
-25.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Total enrollment
1,083
peer median 1,090
Avg net price
$12,303
-$5.1k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
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Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
20%-25.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
4-year graduation
16%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
17%
Full-time retention
55%

Pell equity

15.2pp gap
Pell recipients
14%21 of 150
Non-Pell (all)
29%28 of 96
Subsidized loan, no Pell
32%13 of 41
No Federal Aid
27%15 of 55

Non-Pell students graduate at a 15.2-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 27 Title IV programs, 6 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 21 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
27
Passing
6
22.2% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

27programs
  • Passing6 · 22.2%
  • No Data21 · 77.8%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
0
Safe
5
No data
21

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

6
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+8.1%
$64,997 vs $60,112
Curriculum and Instruction
Master's Degree · Education
+29.7%
$60,185 vs $46,391
Educational Administration and Supervision
Graduate Certificate · Education
+42.4%
$66,072 vs $46,391
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
+52.3%
$53,027 vs $34,808
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+59.7%
$55,583 vs $34,808
Computer and Information Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
+114.8%
$74,772 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

5
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
46%
$29,914 debt · $64,997 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
40%
$21,063 debt · $53,027 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
35%
$19,671 debt · $55,583 earn
Computer and Information Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
25%
$18,473 debt · $74,772 earn
Educational Administration and Supervision
Graduate Certificate · Education
18%
$11,774 debt · $66,072 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1963Next review Aug 2033

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 3

  1. Jul 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  2. Dec 2021Grant Substantive Change: Ownership
    National League for Nursing, Commission for Nurse Education Accreditation · Nursing - Associate degree
  3. Mar 2015Accreditation Reaffirmed: Warning Removed
    Higher Learning Commission

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$9,886
$30–48k$10,753
$48–75k$11,154
$75–110k$14,107
$110k+$14,716

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$12,303
-$5,137vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs median $17,441
Federal loans
71.7%
In-state tuition
$11,900
Out-of-state
$11,900

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 827 students received $4.8M in Pell grants, alongside $10.3M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
827
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$4.8M
$4,841,064 total
Direct Loans
$10.3M
1,838 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.3M
847 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.1M
807 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$2.3M
135 loan awards
Parent PLUS$485K
42 loan awards
Grad PLUS$116K
7 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 638 borrowers who entered repayment, 34 (5.3%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
5.3%
+3.0pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
638
Defaulted
34
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
17.0%
2017
17.2%
2018
13.1%
2019
5.3%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Salem

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs15
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

242 total completions
01Business
9539.3%
02Health Professions
4317.8%
03Security/Protective
3313.6%
04Education
2912.0%
05Computer Sciences
187.4%
06Biological Sciences
156.2%
07Parks/Recreation
93.7%
08Liberal Arts
00.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
1,083
12-mo unduplicated
1,406
Undergraduate
1,132
Graduate
274

Gender split

Men
35%488
Women
65%918

Race / ethnicity composition

White
60.3%
Black
12.3%
Unknown
11.6%
Non-resident
10.3%
Hispanic
4.3%
Asian
0.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%
Two or more
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
271
165 M · 106 W
Women athletes
39.1%
Athletic aid
$2.2M
Total student aid
Budget
$4.1M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.2M
$1.0M
Recruiting expense
$17K
$15K
Head-coach salaries
$38K
$33K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 9

Baseball
62 M ·
$469K
Soccer
34 M · 16 W
$629K
Swimming
26 M · 24 W
$258K
Basketball
20 M · 21 W
$816K
Water Polo
17 M · 18 W
$491K
Tennis
12 M · 8 W
$368K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.12
1 offenses · 894 students

3-year trend

2.022 yrs ago0.001 yr ago1.12Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
3
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
1
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
1

By location

1total
  • On campus1

Includes 1 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
1
Dating violence
0
Stalking
1 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor00

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
19.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
20

Salem vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Salem selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectSalem University
20%1,083$12,303Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
67%7.3%1,096$20,242Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
9%801$16,482Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
52%746$18,399Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
100%1,303$16,064Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
39%2,750$23,043Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Peer group median46%7.3%1,090$17,441

Institutions like Salem

Explore the federal data for institutions in Salem's comparison group.

Frequently asked questions about Salem University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Salem.

What is the graduation rate at Salem University?

Salem University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 20% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Salem University?

Salem University reports a total enrollment of 1,083 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Salem University?

The average net price at Salem University is $12,303 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

Where is Salem University located?

Salem University is located in Salem, West Virginia 26426.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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