Following its fourth-consecutive year of record-breaking growth in student applicants, Salem College has achieved its third year in a row of enrollment growth. For the fall 2025 semester, total undergraduate enrollment at the North Carolina-based women’s college has risen by 19 percent.
This year’s student body includes 222 new undergraduate students, marking a 27 percent growth from last year. Among these students are 177 first-year students, representing 19 states – as well as Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. – and two countries. The newly enrolled members of the Class of 2029 have an average high school GPA of 3.75. Some 60 percent of these students are first-generation college students, 53 percent are from underrepresented racial backgrounds, and the majority plan to pursue majors in STEM or healthcare. Additionally, the college has enrolled its largest-ever cohort of transfer students, with 45 transfers joining Salem College this semester.
“Salem’s continued enrollment growth, despite the shifting demographics of higher education, underscores the strength and resilience of our entire campus community,” said Matthew Munsey, Salem’s vice president of enrollment management. “This achievement is a direct reflection of the strategic efforts of our admissions and financial aid teams, whose professionalism and dedication ensure that students and families experience the very best of Salem from the first point of contact. Their work is central to advancing our mission and sustaining Salem’s momentum.”
Gary Daynes, interim president of Salem Academy and College, added, “For the past five years, Salem College has been building its visibility and strength on its mission: to be a women’s college grounded in the liberal arts and dedicated to graduating students who are health leaders. This year’s entering class is a testament to the hard work of faculty and staff, and to the attractiveness of Salem’s mission in today’s higher education landscape.”