Campus & Student Life at Winston - Salem State University

Home to about 4,689 undergraduates in 2020, WSSU is a public university located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. This urban setting might be best suited for students who like the fast-paced city life. Should you tire of the campus however, WSSU offers a “study abroad” program. Please note, some classes/degrees offered by WSSU can be taken “online” so keep that in mind when reviewing this report. For more context, you might also check out our WSSU Guide to Distance and Online Learning.

WSSU is an "Historically Black College or University" (HBCU)

The Higher Education Act of 1965 established historically black colleges and universities as institutions whose principal mission was the education of African-Americans. Today, the HBCU designation does not necessitate that WSSU is exclusively or even predominantly African-American (though it currently is). Thanks to integration efforts, there are HBCUs with non-black majorities and non-HBCUs with black majorities. For more information you can review the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

WSSU Has a Disability Services Site

For more information on policies and accommodations that the university provides to ensure all students get the opportunity to participate, you can visit WSSU Disability Services.

WSSU for the Military

While not a "service academy", WSSU does offer support for veterans and those seeking a career in the armed forces. Undergraduates have access to one or more ROTC programs and there is an active student veterans group on campus. For more information on policies related to veterans, you can visit WSSU Veteran Services . For more information, check out our WSSU for Veterans Guide.

Freshmen Living Arrangements at Winston - Salem State University

WSSU offers on-campus housing, but freshmen are not required to take advantage of it. In the end though, most do choose to live in the dorms.

* Data compiled from students who received financial aid, including loans.

Full-time vs. Part-time Studies at Winston - Salem State University

There were 4,689 undergraduates in 2020. Full-time attendance was 4,033 (86.0%). Part-time attendance was 656 (14.0%).

Winston - Salem State University is Ranked #2,609 for Overall Diversity

Compared to other colleges and universities across the nation, WSSU is less diverse than average in terms of overall diversity. We rank WSSU #2609 out of 3,451.

The chart below shows each element that we looked at to determine this ranking, and how that metric compares to the national average. 100 would indicate excellent diversity in each category, and 1 would mean poor diversity.

You can learn more about the diversity of the student body at WSSU by looking closer at the ethnic,  gender,  age, and geographic diversity metrics from the WSSU Diversity Guide.

Winston - Salem State University Competes in the NCAA

WSSU has a total of 357 student athletes, 226 men and 131 women who compete in inter-collegiate athletics.

Athletics Financing

For more information about athletics including per-team sizes, coaching and scholarships check out our Guide to Winston - Salem State University Athletics