Salem College, a liberal arts college for women, values its students as individuals, develops their unique potential, and prepares them to change the world.
Salem College can trace its roots as far back as 1766 when the Moravians, an early Protestant denomination from central Europe, established the village of Salem. Believing that women deserved an education comparable to that given men -- an exceptional view in the 18th Century -- the Moravians began a school for girls in 1772. Today, Salem is an intimate learning community of 1,100 women from all over the world and is one of our nation's most distinguished private liberal arts colleges.
As the oldest educational institution for women in the United States, Salem boasts a proud history of fostering independence in women. Our students have the freedom to explore who they are and who they want to be. They enjoy state-of-the-art facilities for the sciences, athletics and the performing arts; manage their campus through a dynamic Student Government Association; and participate in over 50 clubs and activities.
Academics at Salem College is founded upon the belief that traditional liberal arts and sciences give you unlimited possibilities for your future and equip you to truly change the world. You will be challenged and motivated by our 30 undergraduate majors and 26 minors as well as by special opportunities such as the Salem Signature program, the Center for Women Writers and the Women in Science and Math program. Whether you enter Salem with a specific educational goal in mind or want the chance to academically stretch yourself, you'll be right at home at Salem.
Our student-faculty ratio of 13:1 means individual attention from our talented and diverse faculty members; the chance to speak your mind among your peers; and the opportunity to work together to design projects, propose research topics and obtain internships in your chosen field of study. The January Term ever year, which is mandatory for undergraduates, is a rich source of experiential education that may lead you abroad to study another culture or have you doing research closer to home.
Join the students from 27 states and 31 countries who create a vibrant, multicultural and international community at Salem College! We prepare you to change the world by offering limitless opportunities for involvement in this richly diverse environment.
Salem College offers more than 35 student clubs and organizations, NCAA Division III athletics, cultural events, lectures, service projects, leadership programs and many other exciting programs and activities.
Salem College’s 64-acre campus is located in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem in the Old Salem historic district. The 18th century Moravian village of Salem is now an internationally recognized living history museum complex. Our campus includes five buildings that date from the original town of Salem, and we share Salem Square with Old Salem and with Home Moravian Church (built in 1800).
Winston-Salem is also an ideal climate for business, featuring proximity to major U.S. cities, technology and employment opportunities. A short walk from the Salem campus will find you downtown or on the "greenway" to Salem Lake, a popular spot for boating, biking and jogging. Within a few hours of campus are mountains for skiing, camping or hiking; rivers for white-water rafting; and the beautiful ports and beaches of North and South Carolina.
See also Salem State College in Massachusetts.
Salem College is a liberal arts women's college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina founded in 1772. Originally established as a primary school, it later became an academy (high school) and finally a college. It is the oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college (coeducational Moravian College, originally Bethlehem Female Seminary, was founded in 1742). It is the oldest female institution in the Southern United States.
Though Salem is officially classified as a women's college, men 23 years of age and over are admitted into the Continuing Education program.
Salem College is an independent college committed to the liberal arts and quality professional preparation. Salem strives to set its signature upon its students by encouraging them to recognize and strengthen their human faculties and their capacities for service, professional life and leadership. In light of the evidence that such powers flourish when women live and learn within a community dedicated to their education, Salem affirms its commitment to young women in a residential setting.
Located in the historic Moravian community of Old Salem, Salem College was originally a girl's school established by the Moravians, who believed strongly in equal educations for men and women. The idea for the school began in 1766, when (at the age of 17) Sister Elisabeth Oesterlein walked from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania to Salem. On April 22, 1772, the Little Girls' School was founded. Her influence led the school to be among the first to accept non-white students. It became a boarding school in 1802 and in 1866 it changed its name to theSalem Female Academy. The school began giving college diplomas in 1890. In 1907 the name was officially changed to Salem Academy and College and to this day both Salem Academy and Salem College share the campus in Old Salem.
Learn more about Bachelor’s Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the process and techniques of original composition in various literary forms such as the short story, poetry, the novel, and others. Includes instruction in technical and editorial skills, criticism, and the marketing of finished manuscripts. See more Creative Writing Schools or Online Creative Writing School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the English language, including its history, structure and related communications skills; and the literature and culture of English-speaking peoples. See more English Language and Literature Schools or Online English Language and Literature School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the French language and related dialects and creoles. Includes instruction in French philology, Metropolitan French, Canadian French, African and Caribbean Creoles, French regional dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See more French Language and Literature Schools
A program that focuses on the German language and related dialects as used in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, neighboring European countries containing German-speaking minorities, and elsewhere. Includes instruction in German philology; Old, Middle, and High German; Plattdeutsch and other regional dialects; and applications to business, science/technology, and other settings. See more German Language and Literature Schools
A program that focuses on the Spanish language and related dialects. Includes instruction in Spanish philology, Modern Castillan, various Latin American dialects, regional Spanish dialects, and applications in business, science/technology, and other settings. See more Spanish Language and Literature Schools
A program that focuses on the general study and interpretation of the past, including the gathering, recording, synthesizing and criticizing of evidence and theories about past events. Includes instruction in historiography; historical research methods; studies of specific periods, issues and cultures; and applications to areas such as historic preservation, public policy, and records administration. See more History Schools or Online History School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the introductory study and appreciation of music and the performing arts. Includes instruction in music, dance, and other performing arts media. See more General Music Schools or Online General Music School Degree Programs
A program that generally prepares individuals to master musical instruments and performing art as solo and/or ensemble performers. Includes instruction on one or more specific instruments from various instrumental groupings. See more Music Performance Schools
A program that focuses on ideas and their logical structure, including arguments and investigations about abstract and real phenomena. Includes instruction in logic, ethics, aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics, symbolism, and history of philosophy, and applications to the theoretical foundations and methods of other disciplines. See more General Philosophy Schools or Online General Philosophy School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the nature of religious belief and specific religious and quasi-religious systems. Includes instruction in phenomenology; the sociology, psychology, philosophy, anthropology, literature and art of religion; mythology; scriptural and textual studies; religious history and politics; and specific studies of particular faith communities and their behavior. See more General Religion/Religious Studies Schools or Online General Religion/Religious Studies School Degree Programs
Students of Art History study of the historical development of art as a social and intellectual phenomenon. Art History programs include the analysis of works of art, and art conservation, art history research methods, connoisseurship, the preservation and conservation of works of art, and the study of specific periods, cultures, styles, and themes. See more Art History, Criticism and Conservation Schools or Online Art History, Criticism and Conservation School Degree Programs
Art and Art Studies is a general, introductory program that focuses on the study and appreciation of the visual arts. Students of these two or four year programs receive instruction in art, photography, and other visual communications media. See more Art/Art Studies Schools or Online Art/Art Studies School Degree Programs
Arts Management is a four year program teaching individuals to manage art organizations. Arts Management students study business and financial management; marketing and fundraising; personnel management and labor relations; event promotion and management; public relations and arts advocacy; arts law; and applications to specific arts activities such as galleries, museums, studios, foundations, and community organizations. See more Arts Management Schools or Online Arts Management School Degree Programs
A program in the applied visual arts that prepares individuals to apply artistic principles and techniques to the professional planning, designing, equipping, and furnishing residential and commercial interior spaces. Includes instruction in computer applications drafting and graphic techniques; principles of interior lighting, acoustics, systems integration, and color coordination; furniture and furnishings; textiles and their finishing; the history of interior design and period styles; basic structural design; building codes and inspection regulations; and applications to office, hotel, factory, restaurant and housing design. See more Interior Design Schools or Online Interior Design School Degree Programs
A program that prepares individuals to manage international businesses and/or business operations. Includes instruction in the principles and processes of export sales, trade controls, foreign operations and related problems, monetary issues, international business policy, and applications to doing business in specific countries and markets. See more International Business/Trade/Commerce Schools or Online International Business/Trade/Commerce School Degree Programs
An accounting program provides the tools to practice accounting and to perform related business functions. This program includes instruction in accounting principles and theory, financial accounting, managerial accounting, cost accounting, budget control, tax accounting, legal aspects of accounting, auditing, reporting procedures, statement analysis, planning and consulting, business information systems, accounting research methods, professional standards and ethics, and applications to specific for-profit, public, and non-profit organizations. See more Accounting Schools or Online Accounting School Degree Programs
Generally, this program prepares individuals to plan, organize, direct, and control a firm or organization. To aid them in taking a leading role in business, individuals in this program study management theory, human resources management and behavior, accounting and other quantitative methods, purchasing and logistics, organization and production, marketing, and business decision-making. See more Business Administration and Management Schools or Online Business Administration and Management School Degree Programs
A program that prepares individuals to manage the business affairs of non-profit corporations, including foundations, educational institutions, associations, and other such organizations, and public agencies and governmental operations. Includes instruction in business management, principles of public administration, principles of accounting and financial management, human resources management, taxation of non-profit organizations, and business law as applied to non-profit organizations. See more Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management Schools or Online Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the scientific, humanistic, and critical study of human communication in a variety of formats, media, and contexts. Includes instruction in the theory and practice of interpersonal, group, organizational, professional, and intercultural communication; speaking and listening; verbal and nonverbal interaction; rhetorical theory and criticism; performance studies; argumentation and persuasion; technologically mediated communication; popular culture; and various contextual applications. See more Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric Schools
A program that prepares individuals to teach music and music appreciation programs at various educational levels. See more Music Teacher Education Schools
Learn to conduct and supervise complex medical tests, clinical trials, and research experiments; manage clinical laboratories; and consult with physicians and clinical researchers on diagnoses, disease causation and spread, and research outcomes. This program includes instruction in the theory and practice of hematology; clinical chemistry; microbiology; immunology; immunohematology; physiological relationships to test results; laboratory procedures and quality assurance controls; test and research design and implementation; analytic techniques; laboratory management and personnel supervision; data development and reporting; medical informatics; and professional standards and regulations. See more Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist Schools or Online Clinical Laboratory Science/Medical Technology/Technologist School Degree Programs
Any instructional program that is derived from two or more distinct programs to provide a cross-cutting focus on a subject concentration that is not subsumed under a single discipline or occupational field. See more Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies Schools or Online Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies School Degree Programs
Students in this program study general biology at an introductory level. This major provides students with a broad overview of biology and includes instruction in general biology and programs covering a variety of biological specializations. See more Biology/Biological Sciences Schools or Online Biology/Biological Sciences School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the analysis of quantities, magnitudes, forms, and their relationships, using symbolic logic and language. Includes instruction in algebra, calculus, functional analysis, geometry, number theory, logic, topology and other mathematical specializations. See more General Mathematics Schools or Online General Mathematics School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of the composition and behavior of matter, including its micro- and macro-structure, the processes of chemical change, and the theoretical description and laboratory simulation of these phenomena. See more General Chemistry Schools or Online General Chemistry School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the systematic study of the production, conservation and allocation of resources in conditions of scarcity, together with the organizational frameworks related to these processes. Includes instruction in economic theory, micro- and macroeconomics, comparative economic systems, money and banking systems, international economics, quantitative analytical methods, and applications to specific industries and public policy issues. See more General Economics Schools or Online General Economics School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the systematic study of international politics and institutions, and the conduct of diplomacy and foreign policy. Includes instruction in international relations theory, foreign policy analysis, national security and strategic studies, international law and organization, the comparative study of specific countries and regions, and the theory and practice of diplomacy. See more International Relations and Affairs Schools or Online International Relations and Affairs School Degree Programs
A general program that focuses on the scientific study of individual and collective behavior, the physical and environmental bases of behavior, and the analysis and treatment of behavior problems and disorders. Includes instruction in the principles of the various subfields of psychology, research methods, and psychological assessment and testing methods. See more General Psychology Schools or Online General Psychology School Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the systematic study of human social institutions and social relationships. Includes instruction in social theory, sociological research methods, social organization and structure, social stratification and hierarchies, dynamics of social change, family structures, social deviance and control, and applications to the study of specific social groups, social institutions, and social problems. See more Sociology Schools or Online Sociology School Degree Programs
Learn more about Master’s Degree Programs
A program that focuses on the general theory and practice of learning and teaching; the basic principles of educational psychology; the art of teaching; the planning and administration of educational activities; school safety and health issues; and the social foundations of education. See more General Education Schools or Online General Education School Degree Programs
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| Percent of Students International: | 8% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 56% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | No |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Basketball (Division III Independents) Track (Division III Independents) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | Expenses | ||
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 21,030 | ||
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 340 | ||
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 3,749 | 34% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 4,384 | 48% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 11,864 | 92% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 3,682 | 63% | |
Any Aid: |
95% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 69% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 65% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 490, Math: 480 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 650, Math: 630 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 26% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 20, Verbal: 20, Math: 19 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 25, Verbal: 28, Math: 23 |
| Application Fee: | $ 30.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Required |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Not Required |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |