Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem, NC601 Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Winston-Salem, NC 27110-0001
336-750-2000
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is a public, historically black university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1892, WSSU is a member institution of the University of North Carolina system. It is categorized by the Carnegie Foundation as a doctoral research university with high research activity and offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degrees at the baccalaureate, master's, and doctorate levels.
WSSU was founded as Slater Industrial Academy, a private normal school to train African-American teachers. It became a state-supported two-year college in 1925 and was renamed the North Carolina Teachers College at Winston-Salem. It became a four-year college in 1939 and was renamed Winston-Salem State College. In 1963, it was designated a regional university by the North Carolina General Assembly and renamed Winston-Salem State University.
The university enrolls approximately 5,000 students and has a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1. The average class size is 20 students. The campus covers 150 acres (61 ha) and is located in the historic Salem College Historic District.
WSSU offers over 50 undergraduate majors and 20 graduate programs. The university is organized into six colleges: Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Education, Health Sciences, Nursing, and Social Work. The university's athletic teams compete in NCAA Division II as members of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
The university's marching band, the "Red Sea of Sound", is one of the most well-known HBCU marching bands in the country. The band has performed at the inauguration of President Barack Obama, the Tournament of Roses Parade, and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 5169
Acceptance Rate: 72.52%
Type: Public, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.wssu.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.wssu.edu/admissions/scholarships-and-financial-aid/index.html
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $20825
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $31072
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at Winston-Salem State University is $82138.89. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at Winston-Salem State University. For graduates of Winston-Salem State University, we saw an average early-career income of $50500.00 and mid-career income of $75400.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.