Paying for Salem State

How much does Salem State University tuition cost per year?

The 2025 tuition & fees of Salem State University is $12,338 for in-state and $19,531 for out-of-state students. Its tuition & fees has not risen since 2021.

Its tuition & fees is a little bit lower than the average tuition for Master's College and University (larger programs)' tuition of $24,300 based on out-of-state tuition rate.

Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at Salem State is $12,709 for Massachusetts residents and $20,118 for out-of-state students, a 3.0% increase compared to 2025's rate.

Salem State 2025 Tuition & Fees
YearIn-StateOut-of-StateMaster's College And University (larger Programs)' Average
2023-2024$11,978 $18,961$23,694
2024-2025$12,338$19,531$24,300
Change % 2024-20253.01%3.01%2.56%
2025-2026 Estimate$12,709$20,118$24,921
Explore Salem State University

How much do you actually pay at Salem State?

The living costs at Salem State is $18,622 when living on campus. The on-campus living costs increased by 2.53% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs increased by 10.61%.

The Salem State's 2025 COA is $32,160 for in-state and $39,353 for out-of-state students for living on campus. The off-campus COA is $29,298 for in-state and $36,491 for out-of-state students.

72% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $10,493. It could cover 53.72% of the full tuition amount.

After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $21,667 for in-state and $28,860 for out-of-state students..

Salem State University 2025 Cost of Attendance (COA)
On-CampusOff-Campus
In-StateOut-StateIn-StateOut-State
Tuition & Fees$12,338$19,531$12,338$19,531
Room & Board$16,838$12,100
Personal Expenses$1,784$3,660
Books & Supplies$1,200$1,200
COA$32,160$39,353$29,298$36,491
COA with Financial Aid$21,667$28,860$18,805$25,998

Salem State 4-Years Tuition

How Much is Salem State tuition for 4 years?

Salem State's 4-years tuition is $50,259 for in-state and $79,559 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.

Since the tuition & fees at Salem State University have risen very slightly (very lower than national average) over the last 4 years, the actual costs may differ from the estimation based on the school or University system's new tuition policy.

Salem State 4 Years Tuition & Fees Estimates
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$12,428$12,519$12,610$12,702$50,259
Out-of-State$19,674$19,817$19,962$20,107$79,559
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$12,519$12,610$12,702$12,795$50,625
Out-of-State$19,817$19,962$20,107$20,254$80,140
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$12,610$12,702$12,795$12,888$50,994
Out-of-State$19,962$20,107$20,254$20,402$80,725
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$12,702$12,795$12,888$12,982$51,366
Out-of-State$20,107$20,254$20,402$20,551$81,314
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$12,795$12,888$12,982$13,077$51,741
Out-of-State$20,254$20,402$20,551$20,701$81,907

Net Price for 4 Years at Salem State

Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $130,704 for Massachusetts residents and $160,005 for out-of-state students.

Salem State 4 Years COA
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$32,365$32,571$32,779$32,988$130,704
Out-of-State$39,611$39,870$40,131$40,394$160,005
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$32,571$32,779$32,988$33,199$131,537
Out-of-State$39,870$40,131$40,394$40,658$161,052
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$32,779$32,988$33,199$33,411$132,377
Out-of-State$40,131$40,394$40,658$40,924$162,107
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$32,988$33,199$33,411$33,624$133,222
Out-of-State$40,394$40,658$40,924$41,193$163,169
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$33,199$33,411$33,624$33,839$134,072
Out-of-State$40,658$40,924$41,193$41,463$164,238

Actual COA after Receiving Financial Aid

After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $88,732 for Massachusetts residents and $118,033 for out-of-state students.

Salem State 4 Years COA after Receiving Financial Aid
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$21,872$22,078$22,286$22,495$88,732
Out-of-State$29,118$29,377$29,638$29,901$118,033
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$22,078$22,286$22,495$22,706$89,565
Out-of-State$29,377$29,638$29,901$30,165$119,080
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$22,286$22,495$22,706$22,918$90,405
Out-of-State$29,638$29,901$30,165$30,431$120,135
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$22,495$22,706$22,918$23,131$91,250
Out-of-State$29,901$30,165$30,431$30,700$121,197
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$22,706$22,918$23,131$23,346$92,100
Out-of-State$30,165$30,431$30,700$30,970$122,266

Salem State's Graduate Tuition

The graduate school tuition at Salem State University is $9,360 for in-state and $11,069 for out-of-state students. Detailed graduate program tuition and majors can be found at Salem State graduate program page.

Salem State Graduate Tuition & Fees
YearIn-StateOut-of-State
2023-2024$9,088 $10,747
2024-2025$9,360$11,069
Change % 2024-20252.99%3.00%
2025-2026$9,640$11,401

Tuition Per Credit Hour

For part-time and/or full-time students who take additional credits at Salem State is $38 for Massachusetts residents and $294 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition per credit hour is $140 for Massachusetts residents and $230 for out-of-state students.

Per Credit Hour Charge at Salem State
YearIn-StateOut-of-State
Undergraduate2023-2024$499$790
2024-2025$38$294
2025-2026 (Estimate)$3$109
Graduate2023-2024$505$597
2024-2025$140$230
2025-2026 (Estimate)$39$89

Salem State Tuition Charts

The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at Salem State. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.

Compare Tuition with Similar Colleges

The following table compares tuition & fees between Salem State University and its similar schools.

Compare Details
Tuition Comparison between Salem State and Similar Colleges
In-StateOut-of-State
Salem State University$12,338$19,531
University of Massachusetts-Amherst$17,772$40,449
University of Massachusetts-Lowell$16,966$36,264
University of Massachusetts-Boston$15,898$38,115
Bridgewater State University$11,734$17,874
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth$15,612$32,567

Salem State Tuition Frequently Asked Questions

For the academic year 2024-2025, the undergraduate tuition & fees at Salem State are $12,338 for Massachusetts residents and $19,531 for out-of-state students.
The total cost of attendance (COA) at Salem State for the academic year 2024-2025 includes tuition & fees, books & supplies, and living expenses. For in-state students, the estimated COA is $32,160 and $39,353 for out-of-state students. Actual costs may vary depending on housing choices and personal expenses.
It has been risen by 3.01% for Massachusetts residents and increased by 3.01% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year. The graduate tuition has been risen by 2.99% for Massachusetts residents and increased by 3.00% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year.
72% of Salem State undergraduates receive grants or scholarships, with an average aid amount of $10,493 per student. Additional financial aid options are available through Salem State's financial aid office.

In-State (Massachusetts Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $130,704, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $12,702 per year, which would total around $50,259 over four years.

Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $160,005. The tuition and fees are around $20,107 per year, totaling about $79,559 over four years.

Salem State charges $38 per credit hour for in-state undergraduates and $294 for out-of-state undergraduates. Graduate students pay $140 (in-state) or $230 (out-of-state) per credit hour.

The in-state undergraduate tuition at Salem State is higher than the average for similar schools ($9,818 - public Master's College and University (larger programs)).

The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at Salem State is about the same as the average for similar schools ($19,272 - public Master's College and University (larger programs)).

The in-state graduate tuition at Salem State is a little bit lower than the average for similar schools ($10,557 - public Master's College and University (larger programs)).

The out-of-state graduate tuition at Salem State is lower than the average for similar schools ($17,608 - public Master's College and University (larger programs)).

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