Public · University

Salisbury University

Salisbury, Maryland · Small suburb

87.5%
Admit rate
$17,743
Avg net price
68%
Graduation rate
$61,515
Median earnings

Salisbury University is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Salisbury, Maryland (small suburb setting), enrolling 6,057 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 6,057 undergradsSmall suburbAccessible · 87% admitNCAA Division III with football · New Jersey Athletic ConferenceCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Salisbury University's admitted students.

Admit rate
87.5%
SAT (mid 50%)
1180–1320
Avg GPA (est.)
3.52

Enter a test score to see where you land against Salisbury University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Salisbury University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Salisbury, Maryland

Salisbury is a city in and the county seat of Wicomico County, Maryland, United States. Salisbury's location at the head of Wicomico River was a major factor in growth. At first, it was a small colonial outpost set up by Lord Baltimore. Salisbury was established in 1732. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
13 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Salisbury Ocean City Wicomico (SBY)

How Salisbury University compares

Selectivity87.5%

More selective than 30% · #24 most selective of 28 in Maryland

SAT average1252

Higher than 71%

Graduation rate68%

Higher than 75% · #12 of 31 in Maryland

First-year retention78%

Higher than 54%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$61,515

Higher than 70% · #15 of 28 in Maryland

Average net price$17,743

Cheaper than 61% · #13 cheapest of 29 in Maryland

Median debt at graduation$21,000

Lower than 67%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment6,057

Larger than 81%

Percentiles compare Salisbury University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Maryland.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

6,794students
  • Undergraduate6,05789%
  • Graduate73711%

Undergraduates by gender

6,057undergrads
  • Women3,60860%
  • Men2,44940%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White70%
  • Black13%
  • Hispanic7.7%
  • Asian2.6%
  • Other or multiracial7.4%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
6,057
Graduate enrollment
737
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
26%
First-generation students
29%
Students over 25
7%
Median family income
$69,454
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$96,111
Endowment
$84,407,176

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 1,376 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Maryland81%
  • Other U.S. states18%
  • International0.6%

Most first-years stay in state — Salisbury University draws overwhelmingly from Maryland.

1% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
87.5%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1180–1320
SAT average
1252
SAT reading
600–670
SAT math
580–650
ACT composite
20–29
Average GPA (estimated)
3.52

Cost

In-state tuition
$11,084
Out-of-state tuition
$22,174
Room & board
$13,900
Books & supplies
$1,300
Total cost of attendance
$28,310
Average net price
$17,743

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
68%
Graduated on time (4 years)
51%
First-year retention
78%
Transferred to another college
22%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$51,926
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$61,515
Median debt at graduation
$21,000
Students with federal loans
39%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
64%

About 17% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
51%
Low-income (Pell)
63%
First-generation
64%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
2,279
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
38%
Housing charge (year)
$7,630
Meal plan (year)
$5,786
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
New Jersey Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
702 (432 men · 270 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (12)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)178
Football138
Lacrosse90
Soccer73
Swimming62
Baseball31
Basketball26
Field Hockey24
Tennis23
Softball22
Volleyball22
Golf13

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.4 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
37
Property offenses (2022–2024)
14

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (7,025 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

17reported offenses a year
12 violent a year4.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
6.7
Fondling
4.3
Burglary
3.7
Motor vehicle theft
1.0
Robbery
0.7
Aggravated assault
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$6,743
$30–48k
$9,915
$48–75k
$12,909
$75–110k
$16,669
$110k+
$22,759

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$56,571

$12,909/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

88%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$4,166
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 88% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,166. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,376 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$61,515
Typical debt at graduation
$21,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
34%
Out-earn a HS grad
70%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.4 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$58,564
Men
$65,438

Men out-earn women by $6,874 (12%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
89°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
48″
Annual snow
8″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Salisbury, MD US station (1.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Salisbury University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Salisbury University side by side →

Colleges near Salisbury University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.