Admissions & Aid

Admissions Requirements

Salem State University has a commitment to academic excellence and a continuing desire to provide access to a four-year baccalaureate program for a broad range of students. Your application is carefully reviewed to evaluate your strengths as a candidate and to be certain that you have the academic background to succeed at Salem State.

The following admissions standards have been developed with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education to ensure that the university remains an institution of high academic quality.

1. High School Graduates:

Freshman Requirements:

The following high school courses are required for admission to the college:

English: Four full year college prep. units

Math: Three full year college prep. units (graduates must have four college prep courses)

Science: Three full year college prep. units (two must include labs)

Foreign Language: Two full year college prep. units of the same language

Social Science: Two full year college prep. units (one must be U.S. History)

Electives: Two courses from the above subjects or from the arts and humanities or computer science

Please be advised that only courses that are college preparatory or higher will be considered. If you completed Honors and/or Advanced Placement, these courses will be given additional consideration.

Salem State University, under the auspices of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, uses a sliding scale admissions formula. The sliding scale uses a re-calculated grade point average and SAT or ACT scores. The sliding scale chart is listed below:

Required GPA and SAT/ACT:

These above requirements are the minimum admissions standards required for direct entrance to the university. Salem State has set higher standards for admission to Nursing, Business, Biology, Criminal Justice, and Education. Admissions standards and requirements are reviewed continuously and we reserve the right to increase standared.

The admissions office also reviews students for the Salem State University Commonwealth Honors Program and for the Pre-College Transition Program.

2. Students with Learning Disabilities:

Applicants with professionally diagnosed and documented learning disabilities (documentation must include diagnostic test results) are exempt from taking standardized tests for admission to any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Such students, however, must complete 16 required academic courses with a minimum required GPA of 3.00 or present other evidence of the potential for academic success.

An applicant may substitute two college preparatory electives for the two required foreign language courses only if the applicant has on file with the high school results of a psycho-educational evaluation completed within the past three years that provides a specific diagnosis of a learning disability and an inability to succeed in a foreign language.

3. Vocational High School Applicants:

Vocational-technical applicants must complete the required 16 college preparatory courses and the SAT's/ACTs, however, two vocational exploratory or lecture based courses may be used to fulfill the two required electives. In addition, one of the following courses must be completed: foreign language, a fourth unit of mathematics or science, a computer science.   

4. English as a Second language Students (ESL):

Applicants must complete the SAT or ACT and the 16 required college preparatory courses with two exceptions:

ESL applicants may substitute up to two college preparatory electives for the two required foreign language courses and ESL applicants may substitute up to two years of college preparatory ESL English courses for college preparatory english courses, provided they achieve a 550 on the toefl or ELPT test. (This means a 550 on the paper TOEFL, or a 213 on the computerized TOEFL test.)  To qualify for either of these exceptions ESL applicants must achieve the required minimum GPA  in their college preparatory and substitute ESL courses.  When the applicant's GPA is below the minimum required  GPA, in addition to the required TOEFL or ELPT score, the sliding scale must be used to meet minimum admissions standards and an appropriate SAT-1 or ACT test socre must be achieved.  

5. Alternative Admissions:

Salem State University offers a pre-college summer transition program to aid high school graduates in achieving academic success in college. We believe that all students should master basic academic skills to achieve their educational goals. Some students need to develop these skills before enrolling in college. Salem State University offers a six-week summer program designed to give students the tools and resources they need to be successful in college.

Our summer transition program provides educational access to those students who would benefit from academic skill development prior to enrolling at Salem State.

Applicants are considered for admission to the program using the following criteria:

• High School GPA (minimum 2.2)
• SAT scores (minimum 700 combined with critical reading and math scores not exceeding a 510 and a 500 respectively)
• or ACT scores (minimum 14, maximum 21)
• Personal Statement
• Interview (if necessary)
• Must be a first-time college student

If you are first-generation or low-income, you may qualify for financial assistance.

6. GED Recipients:

GED scores will be considered for admission if the student's graduating class has been out of high school for at least three years. Additionally, the student must submit a resume or work history letter. An interview may also be required.

7. Adult Learners:

An adult learner is classified as a student who has graduated high school three or more years from the semester he or she wishes to attend Salem State University. The student must supply proof of high school graduation and submit a resume or work history letter. An interview may be required.

8. International Students:

Original high school transcripts and/or diploma must be in English and/or must be professionally translated into English, in addition they must include a list of courses completed and the grades received. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required. Freshmen international students must also submit SAT or ACT scores. Students from English speaking countries, whose first language is English, are exempt from the TOEFL. 

9. Special Admissions:

The special admissions category allows a limited number of students to be accepted without meeting the high school admissions standards outlined above. These spaces are typically given to students who fall just shy of meeting the admissions requirements. If you are one of these students, we strongly recommend that you apply before the first of January.