“A storied North Carolina HBCU built on nursing, health sciences, and the No. 1 HBCU social-mobility record in the state.”
Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is a public, historically Black university founded in 1892 as the Slater Industrial Academy. Today it enrolls roughly 5,200 students and sits at the heart of the Piedmont Triad in Winston-Salem, North Carolina — a mid-sized city known nationally for the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Innovation Quarter biotech corridor, and the arts scene around Old Salem. WSSU is a member of the University of North Carolina system and has been recognized as one of the top HBCUs in the Southeast, a national leader in social mobility, and the North Carolina HBCU that graduates the greatest number of Black students into health professions. The university's academic identity is defined by its School of Health Sciences, which enrolls more than 1,500 students and offers signature programs including the CCNE-accredited BSN (traditional five-semester and 15-month accelerated tracks), Master of Science in Occupational Therapy, clinical doctorate in Physical Therapy, and a shared PhD-in-Nursing bridge with Duke University. The College of Arts, Sciences, Business and Education houses Computer Science, Mass Communications (home of one of the oldest student-produced shows on a US HBCU campus), Business and Economics, Education, and Psychology, among more than 40 undergraduate majors. WSSU students benefit from an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small, mentoring-intensive cohorts — particularly within the health sciences pipeline, where clinical placements include Wake Forest Baptist, Novant Health, and Atrium Health facilities. Student life centers on Ram Pride, the Red Sea of Sound marching band, and Division II CIAA athletics, where WSSU football has one of the longest streaks of nationally ranked finishes among HBCUs. The annual Homecoming and Founders' Day draw thousands of alumni to campus, while student organizations span Divine Nine Greek Life, service clubs, professional societies, and an active student government. For international students, WSSU offers an unusually affordable US degree (out-of-state tuition around $16,000) paired with direct exposure to one of the Southeast's fastest-growing medical and biotech economies, plus a welcoming small-campus environment where international students are named and known.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
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Test Required — All applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores.
Official SourceThe deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$5,572 – $6,126
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$16,194 – $16,782
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
The university's flagship school with 1,500+ students across Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Clinical Laboratory Science, Rehabilitation Counseling, Health Care Management, and a PhD-in-Nursing bridge with Duke University.
Houses liberal arts, STEM, and business programs. Strong in Computer Science, Mass Communications, Education, Psychology, and Biology.
AACSB-accredited (via the College) programs in Accounting, Management, Marketing, and Information Systems, with strong internship ties to Winston-Salem corporate employers (Truist, Reynolds American, Hanesbrands).
Growing computer-science and IT programs with undergraduate research experiences funded by NSF and the NC HBCU STEM cluster.
Prepares licensed teachers with a strong commitment to North Carolina public schools and urban education.
4 years
CCNE-accredited. The traditional five-semester track plus a 15-month Accelerated BSN for students with a prior bachelor's. NCLEX pass rates consistently exceed state and national averages.
4 years
STEM-designated with research concentrations in data science and cybersecurity; small cohorts and close faculty mentorship.
4 years
Print, broadcast, and digital concentrations anchored by the historic student-run WSSU-TV — one of the oldest HBCU student television programs in the country.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $16,782
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
