Dakota Wesleyan University vs NSU-Aberdeen

Dakota Wesleyan University and Northern State University, both esteemed institutions in South Dakota, offer distinct educational experiences. Dakota Wesleyan, a private university, boasts a smaller student body and a higher acceptance rate, fostering a close-knit community. Northern State, a public university, attracts a larger and more diverse student population, providing a vibrant campus atmosphere. While both universities offer a range of academic programs, Dakota Wesleyan excels in liberal arts and sciences, while Northern State is renowned for its business and education programs. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors, helping you make an informed decision about your higher education journey.

	Dakota Wesleyan University	Northern State University
Overview
Location	Mitchell, South Dakota	Aberdeen, South Dakota
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	71.0%	68.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.7%	79.8%
Application fees	$110	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	860 - 1100	1020 - 1190
ACT range	19 - 25	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	3.0%	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	60.0%	80.0%
Total number of applicants	1,047	1,229
Total number of admissions given out	793	981
Admitted students who chose to enroll	169	337
Yield rate	21.3%	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	$43,080	In state: $23,495 Out of state: $26,597
Average net price	$21,830	$16,821
Tuition	$29,700	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,350 Meal plan: $4,200	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 $18,033	89.0% Average amount $5,662
Students receiving federal student loan	92.0% Average amount $5,049	65.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	26.0% Average amount $13,323	10.0% Average amount $9,043

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	770 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	156 Men 35.3% Women 64.7%	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	38.9%
International students	1.1%	2.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	520	853
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	South Dakota Minnesota North Dakota Iowa Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	54.9%	47.6%
Dropout rate	38.3%	25.4%
Transferred out	6.9%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,155 Year 2: $57,603 Year 3: $64,357 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $55,254 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $42,345 Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: $39,391 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,019 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,046 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: N/A Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,623 Year 2: $63,005 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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