Top Ranked Programs
Salem State University's program mix is anchored in Business, with additional depth in health, education, and social-science fields — a signature consistent with a regional public university serving a mixed enrollment in the greater Boston area. Business accounts for 18% of graduates, followed by Education at 7% and Arts at 6%, reflecting a portfolio oriented toward applied professional and workforce-ready fields. Across 42 programs serving roughly 1,280 students annually, 20 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. Nursing is the program that combines scale and earnings most effectively at Salem State University, making it the institution's highest aggregate-return major — a field where enrollment volume and graduate pay together generate the strongest collective economic outcome. Among the most popular programs, Nursing program graduates 155 students with median earnings of $95,550 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #99 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Psychology, General and Criminal Justice are also among the largest programs by graduate count, with four-year median earnings of $54,717 and $59,774 respectively, reflecting the university's strength in applied and professionally oriented fields. The highest-earning programs at Salem State University are concentrated in business and health-adjacent fields, where graduates enter labor markets with consistent hiring demand. Nursing leads on earnings, with 155 graduates earning median earnings of $95,550 four years after enrollment; Azimuth ranks it #99 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Business Administration and Biology, General follow, with four-year median earnings of $67,789 and $67,551 respectively — both high-mobility, direct-to-workforce pathways where graduates typically enter stable regional employment. For context on how these program families align with national labor-market demand, see [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/).