Key differences on Outcomes
- 1
Sonoma State grads earn $9.3K more ten years out than Salem State's ($65,986 vs. $56,662)
Median earnings, 10 yrs - 2
Sonoma State graduates 7 pts more of its students than Salem State (69% vs. 62%)
Graduation rate
Outcomes
Outcomes
Earnings and finishing
Median earnings, 10 yrs
Sonoma State$66KHighest
Salem State$56.7K
Graduation rate
Sonoma State69%Highest
Salem State62%
Retention rate
Sonoma State79%Highest
Salem State76%
Borrowing
Median debt
Sonoma State$16.7KLowest
Salem State$25K
Undergrads with a federal loan
Sonoma State27%
Salem State49%
Median debt, Pell Grant recipients
Sonoma State$12.5KLowest
Salem State$20.5K
Eight-year outcomes
Credential within 4 years, all students
Sonoma State55%
Salem State51%
Credential within 8 years, all students
Sonoma State69%
Salem State62%
Enrolled at another college, 8 years on
Sonoma State23%
Salem State20%
Graduation by group
Graduated in 6 years, Pell Grant recipients
Sonoma State52%
Salem State47%
Graduated in 6 years, neither Pell nor subsidized loan
Sonoma State61%
Salem State53%
Pell graduation gap
Sonoma State9 pts lower
Salem State6 pts lower
Graduated in 6 years, by race and ethnicity
| Group | Sonoma State | Salem State |
|---|---|---|
| White | 59% | 53% |
| Asian | 59% | 59% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 58% | 42% |
| Black | 38% | 48% |
| Two or more races | 50% | 40% |
| International | 64% | Not shown: under 30 students |
Sources:College Scorecard, most recent release;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Outcome Measures survey, Students entering fall 2016;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;Salem State University Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)
Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why