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Elementary and Secondary Education
Forsyth Technical Community College
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem State University
North Carolina School of the Arts
Salem College
Elementary and Secondary Education
Forsyth County residents are served by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, the fifth largest public school system in North Carolina, with a 2004-05 enrollment of almost 48,300.
The system is comprised of 70 schools; 40 elementary schools, 14 middle schools, 9 senior high schools and 7 special schools.
New high school graduation standards were approved for students starting with the Class of 2000, as follows: one additional unit of science, mandatory community service, computer competency, and work-force standards examinations.
There are also 29 private schools in the area, both church-affiliated and secular.
Several private schools in Forsyth County offer instruction from Kindergarten through 12th grade, while others concentrate on the lower grades. Detailed information about the area’s private schools can be provided upon request.
Forsyth Technical Community College
The past forty years have seen Forsyth Technical Community College evolve from a small trade school to a comprehensive community college—a vital and dynamic player in the growth and health of the area economy.
In the 2003-2004 school year, the college experienced an enrollment of approximately 10,000 students with 400 full-time staff members. The part-time Corporate and Continuing Education learners numbered 43,605. Forsyth Tech operates seven campuses in Forsyth County offering 168 curriculum programs.
The college is also providing over 500 customized courses a year for over 6,000 employees of local companies. They are conducting these classes in more than seventy-five local industrial, business, and agency on-site locations.
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest is a private institution with a 2005-2006 enrollment of 6,716 students including 4,255 undergraduates. Undergraduate degrees offered include a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science in 36 different disciplines. Over 400 full-time faculty teach at Wake Forest with an undergraduate student ratio of 10:1.
Wake Forest has a 2007 ranking of 30th among the nation’s best colleges by US News & World Report. Additionally, the same source recognized Wake Forest for having one of America’s most “outstanding first year experiences” at an undergraduate institution.
The University also includes a School of Law ranked no. 36, the Babcock Graduate School of Management (one of the top 20 executive MBA programs in the nation), a Graduate School, Divinity School and the internationally recognized School of Medicine.
Wake Forest was rated the second most connected campus in the United States in 2003 by The Princeton Review. The school’s commitment to computer and telephony technology was noted as the main reason Wake Forest University was awarded one of the three Presidential debates for 2000 by the Council on Presidential Debates.
Winston-Salem State University
Winston-Salem State was founded in 1892 as Slater Industrial Academy. It joined the University of North Carolina system in 1972. WSSU, the number one Southern Public Comprehensive University for the last three years according to US News and World Report, is the fastest growing state university in terms of percentage enrollment gains. The 2005-2006 enrollment was 5,567 students.
WSSU has 333 faculty members of whom over half hold doctoral degrees. Undergraduate degrees offered at Winston-Salem State include Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Applied Science. WSSU has added six new graduate programs since 2002 including masters in business administration, education, computer science, counseling, nursing and physical therapy. There are eight more graduate programs planned in subjects such as health care administration, biology and pharmacology.
North Carolina School of the Arts
North Carolina School of the Arts, the only state-assisted residential arts school of its kind, was founded in 1963 and is a member of the University of North Carolina system.
NCSA has an enrollment of 1,137 from 40 states and 11 countries. This includes junior high, high school, undergraduate and graduate students. In 1993, a School of Filmmaking was started at NCSA, headed by producer Dale Pollock.
The School of the Arts has 135 full-time resident faculty members. Degrees offered include Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, College Arts Diploma, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Music, plus high school diplomas with arts concentrations.
Salem College
Salem College, a private, residential liberal arts college for women, is located in the historic village of Old Salem, was started in 1772 by the area’s early Moravian settlers. Salem is the oldest women’s college in the nation by founding date and is the thirteenth oldest college in the U.S.
Salem has an enrollment of 1,120 from 28 states and 16 foreign countries. There are 53 full-time faculty members, with 97% holding doctoral degrees in their fields. Salem College has been named a Top 10 “Best Buy” among women’s colleges for the past seven years by Money Magazine.
Salem College also operates Salem Academy, a high school residential and day school for girls adjacent to the college campus.
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