Augustana University vs NSU-Aberdeen

Augustana University and Northern State University, both esteemed institutions in South Dakota, offer distinct educational experiences. Augustana, a private university, boasts a lower acceptance rate of 75%, while Northern State, a public university, has a more open admissions policy with an acceptance rate of 90%. Augustana's student body is smaller and more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students. Northern State, on the other hand, has a larger student body with a higher proportion of in-state students. Both universities offer a range of popular majors, including nursing, business, and education, but Augustana has a stronger focus on liberal arts and sciences. While Augustana's graduation rate is slightly higher, both universities provide ample opportunities for students to succeed academically and professionally. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your aspirations.

	Augustana University	Northern State University
Overview
Location	Sioux Falls, South Dakota	Aberdeen, South Dakota
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	68.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	71.8%	79.8%
Application fees	$60	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1020 - 1300	1020 - 1190
ACT range	22 - 28	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	7.0%	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	73.0%	80.0%
Total number of applicants	2,257	1,229
Total number of admissions given out	1,621	981
Admitted students who chose to enroll	467	337
Yield rate	28.8%	34.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$55,114	In state: $23,495 Out of state: $26,597
Average net price	$26,795	$16,821
Tuition	$34,934	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,930 Meal plan: $4,928	Room/dormitory: $4,800 Meal plan: $4,350
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $24,606	89.0% Average amount $5,662
Students receiving federal student loan	66.0% Average amount $6,261	65.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $13,036	10.0% Average amount $9,043

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,715 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	307 Men 26.1% Women 73.9%	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	44.6%	38.9%
International students	6.5%	2.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,380	853
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Dakota Minnesota Iowa Nebraska Colorado	South Dakota Minnesota North Dakota Iowa Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Business	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	70.6%	47.6%
Dropout rate	9.3%	25.4%
Transferred out	19.9%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,050 Year 2: $57,724 Year 3: $60,403 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,860 Year 2: $44,666 Year 3: $51,957 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,320 Year 2: $48,883 Year 3: $49,768 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,995 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $47,863 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,410 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $43,036 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $42,736 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,851 Year 3: $42,185 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,193 Year 2: $37,928 Year 3: $40,435 Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: N/A	Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $49,248 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $46,732 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,902 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $46,239 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,575 Year 3: $45,796 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,996 Year 2: $40,728 Year 3: $45,442 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,033 Year 2: $39,523 Year 3: $39,953 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,526 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,845 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,862 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,824 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,740 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: N/A

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