Salisbury University: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Wellesley, Maryland · Private nonprofit · Highly selective · CDS 2024-2025
Salisbury University is a private institution located in Wellesley, Maryland and one of the highly selective schools in the country. For the most recent reporting cycle, Salisbury University admits roughly one in four applicants, with an overall admission rate of 20%. Admitted students typically post an average SAT of 1435 and an ACT composite around 32. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $38,876 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether Salisbury University is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for Salisbury University?
Most admitted students at Salisbury University present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
What does Salisbury University weight in admissions?
Salisbury University reports the following factor importance in its Common Data Set (2024-2025). These are the criteria the admissions committee weighs when reviewing applications.
- • Rigor of secondary school record
- • Class rank
- • Academic GPA
- • Standardized test scores
- • Application essay
- • Recommendations
- • Extracurricular activities
- • Character/personal qualities
- • Interview
- • Talent/ability
- • First generation status
- • Alumni/ae relation
- • Geographical residence
- • State residency
- • Volunteer work
- • Work experience
- • Level of applicant's interest
- • Religious affiliation/commitment
SAT and ACT scores Salisbury University typically admits
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 720–780, with an EBRW midpoint near 675. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 30–33. A score at or above this school's 75th percentile materially improves your child's odds, particularly when paired with a rigorous course load.
| 25th percentile | 1410 |
| 50th percentile | 1460 |
| 75th percentile | 1500 |
| % submitting SAT | 22% |
| 25th percentile | 31 |
| 50th percentile | 32 |
| 75th percentile | 34 |
| % submitting ACT | 3% |
- • Test-optional: Standardized test scores are not required, but may be submitted and considered.
- • Policy detail: Considered if submitted
How much does Salisbury University actually cost?
Published tuition is $56,032 for in-state students and $56,032 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $20,786 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $38,876 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 14% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| In-state tuition | $58,560 |
| Room and board | $22,346 |
| Average net price (after aid) | $38,876 |
| Application fee | $75 (waivers available) |
Application deadlines and early decision data for Salisbury University
| Regular deadline | January 2 |
| Notification date | April 1 |
| Reply deadline | May 1 |
| Offers Early Decision | Yes |
| ED deadline | November 1 |
| ED acceptance rate | 28% |
| Offers Early Action | Yes |
| EA deadline | November 1 |
Will my child graduate from Salisbury University?
Retention and graduation rates are the most overlooked numbers in college planning, but they predict actual outcomes far better than acceptance rate. They tell you whether admitted students stay and finish on time.
Other colleges in Maryland parents ask about
- University of Maryland-College Park45% acceptance
- Johns Hopkins University74% acceptance
- University of Maryland-Baltimore County
- Loyola University Maryland83% acceptance
- Towson University83% acceptance
- Montgomery College87% acceptance
- Community College of Baltimore County76% acceptance
- St John's College83% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like Salisbury University
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like Salisbury University recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about Salisbury University
What GPA do I need for Salisbury University?
Most admitted students at Salisbury University present unweighted GPAs in the 3.85–4.0 range with five or more AP or honors courses across high school.
What SAT or ACT score does Salisbury University typically admit?
The middle-50 SAT Math range is 720–780, with an EBRW midpoint near 675. The middle-50 ACT composite range is 30–33.
How much does Salisbury University actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Salisbury University after grants and scholarships is $38,876 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is Salisbury University realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, Salisbury University is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by Salisbury University, and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.