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Salem State University offers a vibrant seaside campus in the hip, historic city of Salem, Massachusetts. See what it's like to be a Viking by visiting our campus — we can't wait to show you around. 

Our Mission

As a comprehensive university, Salem State prepares students of diverse backgrounds and interests to achieve their educational and career goals and to contribute to a global society as ethical and engaged community members.

As a public university, Salem State also makes critical contributions to civic life, environmental sustainability, and the cultural, social, and economic vitality of the North Shore region.

We fulfill this mission principally by:

• providing access and an intellectual home for all who desire to pursue a post-secondary degree, regardless of their lived experiences, presentation of self, or socio-economic circumstances;
• equipping students to enhance their social mobility to improve the future well-being of themselves, their families, and their communities, thereby diversifying our region’s body of social, economic, cultural, and political leaders;
• promoting the development of a broad range of practical skills and habits of mind, through both classroom-based learning and community-engaged practice, that equip students with the knowledge and confidence required to address contemporary issues of central concern and enter 21st-century careers prepared for success;
• grounding students’ personal and professional growth in a contemporary recasting of the liberal arts tradition, with its emphasis on intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, creative problem solving, and effective communication; 
• leveraging Salem’s unique place in the American historical, cultural, and geographic landscapes as a vital asset in cultivating an intellectually vibrant and civically engaged community of learners and scholars; and
• serving as a leader, partner and resource for the North Shore region while working collaboratively with other state universities and community colleges in Massachusetts to create a more equitable public higher education system. 

Core Values

In pursuing our mission, as a campus community we embrace, are inspired by, and seek to embody the following core institutional values:

• Academic Excellence
• Student-Centeredness
• Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Belonging
• Open Inquiry
• Civic Engagement
• Access and Affordability
• Environmental Sustainability
• Collaborative Leadership