Salisbury University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 87%, Salisbury University is an accessible public university in Maryland. Because it admits most qualified applicants, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what Salisbury University weighs, where it ranks among Maryland schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1250, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Salisbury University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Salisbury University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Salisbury University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Salisbury University?
Salisbury University admits most qualified applicants (around 87%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Salisbury University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Salisbury University hard to get into?
Salisbury University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 87% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Salisbury University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Salisbury University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Salisbury University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Salisbury University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Salisbury University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Salisbury University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1250 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1250 SAT, the middle of Salisbury University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1320 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/salisbury-university.
How to get into Salisbury University
Built from Salisbury University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into Salisbury University, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Salisbury University carries about a 3.04 core GPA and a 1270 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1180 to 1320 SAT (20 to 29 ACT). Submit a score at 1250 or higher; below 1180, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Salisbury University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and class rank highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Salisbury University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.salisbury.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Salisbury University, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, Salisbury University received 8,090 applications and admitted 7,170, an acceptance rate of 88.6%. 1,376 enrolled. Only about 19% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Salisbury University enrolls about 6,057 undergraduates in total, 57% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 14 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Salisbury University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Salisbury University scored between 1180 and 1320 on the SAT (average 1252). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 20 to 29. A score above 1320 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1180 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Salisbury University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Salisbury University looks for
What Salisbury University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, Salisbury University leans most on rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and class rank. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Salisbury University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Salisbury University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Salisbury University cost after financial aid?
Salisbury University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $28,310 per year. Tuition and fees are $11,084 for MD residents and $22,174 for out-of-state students, a $11,090 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $17,743 a year, and it ranges from $6,743 for families earning under $30,000 to $22,759 for families earning over $110,000. 26% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Salisbury University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Salisbury University student who received federal aid earns $61,515 a year, up from $51,926 at six years. 68% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $21,000; 39% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Salisbury University compares in Maryland
Salisbury University ranks #15 most selective of 17 schools in Maryland in our database.
Among the 17 Maryland schools we track, Salisbury University ranks #15 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Johns Hopkins University (6%) and U.S. Naval Academy (9%) sit nearby, which makes Maryland a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Salisbury University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around Salisbury University with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as Boise State University, George Mason University, and North Carolina Central University. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Salisbury University's acceptance rate?
Salisbury University admitted 7,170 of 8,090 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 88.6% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 19% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Salisbury University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1180 to 1320 on the SAT and 20 to 29 on the ACT. A score above 1320 is in the top quarter of admits. Salisbury University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Salisbury University test-optional?
Yes. Salisbury University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Salisbury University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Salisbury University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $17,743 a year against a sticker price of about $28,310. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $6,743 on average.
What do Salisbury University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Salisbury University are $61,515 a year among students who received federal aid, and 68% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Salisbury University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Salisbury University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and class rank most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Salisbury University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Salisbury University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Salisbury University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Salisbury University specifically.
How does residency affect admission to Salisbury University?
As a public university, Salisbury University typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
What are the admission requirements for Salisbury University?
Salisbury University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.