Match #1
Westfield State University
Westfield, MA
Profile closeness90/100
Admit rate81%
- 3,615 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 49%, close to 49%
- Enrollment 3,615 students, close to 4,291
The colleges most similar to Salem State University-Massachusetts are Westfield State University, Worcester State University, and Fitchburg State University. Salem State University-Massachusetts admits 96% of applicants and has an average net price of $12,921 a year; 1 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 0 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Salem State University-Massachusetts. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Salem State University-Massachusetts
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Worcester State University
Worcester, MA
Profile closeness89/100
Admit rate88%
- 3,930 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Enrollment 3,930 students, close to 4,291
- Average net price $13,866, close to $12,921
Match #3
Fitchburg State University
Fitchburg, MA
Profile closeness88/100
Admit rate87%
- 2,752 students
- Public
- Suburb: Midsize
- Graduation rate 53%, close to 49%
- Average net price $13,803, close to $12,921
Match #4
Framingham State University
Framingham, MA
Profile closeness85/100
Admit rate84%
- 2,566 students
- Public
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 46%, close to 49%
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #5
Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA
Profile closeness83/100
Admit rate88%
- 7,829 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 52%, close to 49%
- Acceptance rate 88%, close to 96%
Match #6
University of Massachusetts-Boston
Boston, MA
Profile closeness68/100
Admit rate84%
- 11,512 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 51%, close to 49%
- Same control type (public)
Match #7
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
North Adams, MA
Profile closeness66/100
Admit rate90%
- 713 students
- Public
- Town: Fringe
- Graduation rate 47%, close to 49%
- Average net price $11,402, close to $12,921
Match #8
University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Lowell, MA
Profile closeness60/100
Admit rate83%
- 11,434 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Same control type (public)
Match #9
Massachusetts Maritime Academy
Buzzards Bay, MA
Profile closeness52/100
Admit rate95%
- 1,395 students
- Public
- Suburb: Midsize
- Acceptance rate 95%, close to 96%
- Same control type (public)
Match #10
University of Massachusetts-Amherst UMASS Main Campus
Amherst, MA
Profile closeness27/100
Admit rate60%
- 23,671 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Same control type (public)
Questions about Salem State University-Massachusetts alternatives
What colleges are similar to Salem State University-Massachusetts?
The closest matches to Salem State University-Massachusetts are Westfield State University, Worcester State University, Fitchburg State University, Framingham State University, and Bridgewater State University. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Salem State University-Massachusetts hard to get into?
Salem State University-Massachusetts admitted 96% of its 6,287 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 0 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Salem State University-Massachusetts alternatives cost less?
1 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Salem State University-Massachusetts ($12,921 a year), including Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts ($11,402). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
