Regional university
#2 Best colleges for nursing in MarylandSalisbury University
Salisbury, MD · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $17,743 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,000 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in America#109 of 681
- Best colleges for social work in America#103 of 605
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#163 of 950
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#123 of 690
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in America#123 of 682
- Best value colleges in America#126 of 674
Show 10 more
- Best colleges for nursing in America#201 of 1,068
- Best colleges for accounting in America#217 of 1,132
- Best colleges for business in America#326 of 1,563
- Best colleges for marketing in America#176 of 834
- Best colleges for education in America#279 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#276 of 1,238
- Best value colleges in the South in America#36 of 153
- Best colleges for finance in America#179 of 744
- Best colleges for psychology in America#343 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#450 of 1,829
In Maryland
- Best colleges for nursing in Maryland#2 of 12
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Maryland#2 of 11
- Best colleges for social work in Maryland#2 of 10
- Best colleges for accounting in Maryland#3 of 15
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Maryland#3 of 15
- Colleges with the best earnings for the price in Maryland#4 of 15
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.68%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.78%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,252 · ACT 24.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$11,356
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $28,310 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 6,281 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 43% · Women 57% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 29% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 18% |
| Total students | 7,030 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $17,743 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $28,310 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,000 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 68% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 67% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 68% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 68% |
| First-year retention | 78% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $61,515 |
| Admission rate | 87% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $50 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,061 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 26% |
| Average SAT | 1252 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 600–670 |
| SAT math | 580–650 |
| ACT composite | 20–29 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Very good · Top 22% (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Allied health | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Managerial economics | |
| Accounting | |
| Nursing | |
| Information science | |
| Finance | |
| Physics | |
| Clinical laboratory science | |
| Mathematics | |
| Marketing | |
| Business administration | |
| Biology | |
| Political science | |
| Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Secondary education | |
| Romance languages | |
| Social work | |
| Geography | |
| Communication studies | |
| Teacher education | |
| History | |
| Interdisciplinary studies | |
| English | |
| Psychology | |
| Natural resources and conservation | |
| Sociology | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Fine arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Chemistry, City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning, Data Science, Economics, Geology and earth science, Global studies, International business, Music, Other health professions and related clinical sciences, Other science technologies/technicians, Outdoor Education, Philosophy, Public health, Teaching English as a second language, Theatre.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Health professions | |
| Education | |
| Communication | |
| Parks, recreation and fitness |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Suburb |
| Part-time undergraduates | 4% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 7% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $13,900 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · Capital Athletic Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 14 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 9%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 68%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $16,078IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 36% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Salisbury Ocean City Wicomico Regional Airport (SBY)About 5 miles away · about 15 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)About 81 miles away |
| Town population | 33,285Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BaltimoreAbout 85 miles away · about 2 hours 45 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 38°F in January · 79°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Salisbury, MD |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.36 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.04 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.04 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.21 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.07 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Salisbury University’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 25% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does Salisbury University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $17,743 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into Salisbury University?
- Salisbury University admitted 87% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Salisbury University’s graduates do?
- 68% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $61,515; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,000.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 163851
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (larger programs)
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Salisbury vs University of Minnesota-Duluth · Salisbury vs Southern Oregon · Salisbury vs William Paterson University of New Jersey · Salisbury vs Salem State
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