Winston-Salem is home to world class institutions for higher learning and there’s a lot happening on campus. Keep reading to learn what makes these colleges + universities special.
Wake Forest University
The private university relocated from Wake Forest, NC in 1956. Its ~9,100 student body population has more than 50 majors to choose from. The campus hosts events the community can also take part in, like the Face to Face Speaker Forum and TEDxWakeForestU.
The Wake Forest University School of Medicine is a leading research institution and is launching a new Translational Eye and Vision Research Center in Innovation Quarter.
Winston-Salem State University
Simon Green Atkins founded Slater Industrial Academy, which would become WSSU, in 1892. Currently ~4,700 students can select 39 bachelor’s degree programs + seven master’s degree programs. Its newly established Quantum Information Science and Engineering Program could impact the future of the US economy and national security.
The Rams recently welcomed their first permanent female chancellor in the university’s history.
Forsyth Technical Community College
The community college has grown to nine campus locations in and around Winston-Salem since its founding in 1960. The school is one of 10 Leader Colleges in the US, which recognizes its commitment to equity and economic mobility. Strategic partnerships and involvement with Forsyth Works keep the local workforce competitive.
Forsyth Tech plans to expand its main campus on Silas Creek Parkway to better serve students and launched an athletics program.
Salem College
Founded in 1772, the private school is the oldest educational institution for girls and women in the US. It began transforming into a liberal arts college focused on health leadership in 2021. The school received a second $5 million donation from an anonymous alumna in Aug. 2023. More than 1,900 applied to the college for fall 2024 enrollment, the largest number in its history.
UNC School of the Arts
The public university opened in 1965 as the first public arts conservatory in the US. The professional school trains high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in the performing, visual, and moving image arts. Programs for dance and drama have been nationally ranked + alumni are frequently nominated for industry awards.
The university’s beloved Stevens Center, where student and professional performances delight audiences year-round, is currently undergoing renovations.
Carolina University
The private university, which was known as Piedmont International University until 2020, is a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. All courses are held over seven weeks and are available online. Students can receive doctorates, master’s, bachelor’s, and associate degrees from six schools.
The school plans to move its campus from South Broad Street to the former HanesBrands headquarters on East Hanes Mill Road in January 2025.
