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Learn what makes this campus and these people so special

About 51Ƶ

Who We Are

  • 51Ƶ is located in , the City of Arts & Innovation
  • Oldest educational institution for girls and women in the United States (older than the United States)
  • Thirteenth oldest college in the United States (American Council on Education)
  • A private, four-year liberal arts college
  • 51Ƶ is a gender-inclusive
  • Motto is “Knowledge and Virtue”

51Ƶ’s 57-acre campus includes , an all-girls boarding and day high school for grades 9-12.

Two people enjoying a coffee sitting on stairs and chatting

What We Do

  • 51Ƶ has 26 undergraduate majors and 32 minors
  • A unique, four year leadership development program called RISE
  • 51Ƶ has the nation’s only liberal arts college exclusively focused on .
  • A member of Division III of the NCAA and of the (basketball, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis and volleyball)
  • A member of the Women’s College Coalition (WCC), Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU), NAICU
Students walking in front of 51Ƶ building

What We Achieve

  • 51Ƶ is ranked #2 in the nation in socioeconomic diversity (The New York Times )
  • Salem ranked #4 in the nation in student success ()
  • Salem ranked #8 in the nation graduate earning performance and #1 in the Southeast ()
  • 96% of graduates are employed full-time or in graduate school within a year after graduation
  • Salem ranked in the top 10 in the nation in social mobility for four consecutive years ()
  • Salem ranked #15 in the southeast for affordability ()
  • Salem ranked in the top 25 National Liberal Arts College in the United States ()

Mission, Vision and Values

Mission Statement: “51Ƶ, a women’s college grounded in the liberal arts, values its students as individuals, develops their leadership potential, and prepares them to create healthier and more equitable communities.”

Vision Statement: 51Ƶ is the premier women’s college committed to advancing equity in health and in our society.

Statement of Core Values, including framing statement: Our values are aspirational and interconnected. They are dynamic expressions of our commitments to one another as members of the 51Ƶ community and the larger world as we strive to live them every day.

  • Intellectual CuriosityWe are fervent about cultivating an environment where a love of learning and thirst for knowledge are the driving forces.
  • Intentional CommunityCommunity is created when we are purposeful in nurturing connections, collaboration, creativity, care, courage and the regard for each person’s unique contributions. We affirm that the health of the individual and the health of the community are interdependent.
  • Equity and BelongingWe believe our community is strengthened by the diversity of its members, by our intentional efforts to welcome all who are part of the Salem community, by the sense of belonging that they feel, and by the equitable outcomes of our work.
  • Innovative SpiritOur ethos of courage and resilience, exemplified by Salem’s founders, fuels each generation of Salem students and graduates to be change-makers in their own time.
  • Courageous LeadershipThe Salem community provides students with both buoyant support and the challenge to be fiercely courageous. With confidence in our individual and collective strengths, we claim the responsibility to make a meaningful difference in the world around us, each in our own unique ways.
  • Honor and IntegrityAt 51Ƶ, our Honor Code calls us to live, learn, and lead with integrity. To do so is to act with love – embracing the shared stewardship of our community and purposefully demonstrating our convictions to the greater world.

The mission, vision and values statements were adopted by 51Ƶ in November 2023.

Salem By The Numbers (as of Fall 2023)

474

Total Enrollment

9:1

Student / Faculty Ratio

9

Average Class Size

58%

Pell-Eligible Students

51%

BIPOC undergraduate students
Racial and Ethnic Diversity

27

States
Geographic Distribution

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