Salem State vs Lesley University

Salem State University and Lesley University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in Massachusetts, offer distinct educational experiences. Salem State, rooted in a public liberal arts tradition, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs. Lesley, a private university with a focus on education, psychology, and the arts, prides itself on its small class sizes and personalized attention. With different acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, these universities cater to students with varying academic interests and career aspirations. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your educational goals and preferences.

	Lesley University	Salem State University
Overview
Location	Cambridge, Massachusetts	Salem, Massachusetts
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	75.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	86.9%	90.0%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	N/A	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants	2,942	6,287
Total number of admissions given out	2,558	5,659
Admitted students who chose to enroll	280	939
Yield rate	10.9%	16.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$41,775	In state: $27,123 Out of state: $33,928
Average net price	$31,928	$18,125
Tuition	$29,200	In state: $910 Out of state: $7,050
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,060 Meal plan: $6,900	$14,590
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $16,316	91.0% Average amount $7,673
Students receiving federal student loan	59.0% Average amount $5,124	67.0% Average amount $4,984
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $15,411	10.0% Average amount $12,948

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,757 Men 23.4% Women 76.6%	5,555 Men 34.5% Women 65.5%
Graduate students	2,253 Men 13.6% Women 86.4%	1,576 Men 21.8% Women 78.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	3.7%	2.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	799	1,928
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	New York New Hampshire Connecticut Rhode Island Vermont

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Visual & Performing Arts Liberal Arts Business	Education Health Professions Business Public Administration and Social Service Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	10:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	New England Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	60.5%	56.8%
Dropout rate	12.4%	40.8%
Transferred out	26.3%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Education, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $91,807 Year 2: $85,760 Year 3: $80,016 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,822 Year 2: $53,298 Year 3: $57,561 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,186 Year 2: $50,606 Year 3: $57,321 Education, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,259 Year 2: $51,690 Year 3: $56,263 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,742 Year 2: $49,855 Year 3: $55,299 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,191 Year 2: $44,595 Year 3: $50,138 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,470 Year 2: $46,869 Year 3: $49,494 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,051 Year 2: $41,353 Year 3: $44,028 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,433 Year 3: $38,957 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,949 Year 2: $20,687 Year 3: $37,894	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

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