Dakota Wesleyan University vs Valley City State University (VCSU)

Dakota Wesleyan University and Valley City State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Dakota Wesleyan, a private university in Mitchell, South Dakota, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Valley City State's 67%. Valley City State, a public university in Valley City, North Dakota, has a larger student body, with over 1,200 undergraduates, while Dakota Wesleyan hosts a more intimate community of around 800 undergraduates. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Dakota Wesleyan excelling in fields like business, education, and nursing, and Valley City State specializing in areas such as agriculture, aviation, and music. 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 academic journey.
Dakota Wesleyan University logo

Dakota Wesleyan University

Valley City State University logo

Valley City State University

Overview

Location Mitchell, South Dakota Valley City, North 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% 61.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Methodism

Admission

Acceptance rate 75.7% 81.4%
Application fees $110
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $35
SAT range 860 - 1100 935 - 1190
ACT range 19 - 25 17 - 23
Students submitting SAT score 3.0% 7.0%
Students submitting ACT score 60.0% 68.0%
Total number of applicants 1,047 442
Total number of admissions given out 793 360
Admitted students who chose to enroll 169 196
Yield rate 21.3% 54.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $43,080
In state: $20,016

Out of state: $24,790
Average net price $21,830 $13,243
Tuition $29,700
In state: $6,364

Out of state: $11,138
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $3,350

Meal plan: $4,200
Room/dormitory: $2,505

Meal plan: $4,414
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

100.0%
Average amount $18,033
99.0%
Average amount $5,907
Students receiving federal student loan 92.0%
Average amount $5,049
66.0%
Average amount $4,794
Students taking out private loans 26.0%
Average amount $13,323
17.0%
Average amount $6,743

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 770
Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
1,523
Men 41.8% Women 58.2%
Graduate students 156
Men 35.3% Women 64.7%
163
Men 32.5% Women 67.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 36.9%
International students 1.1% 1.3%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 520 462
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A North Dakota Minnesota Alaska Hawaii Colorado

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Education
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Business
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio 12:1 13:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 54.9% 53.2%
Dropout rate 38.3% 17.9%
Transferred out 6.9% 28.9%
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
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,075
  • Year 2: $53,775
  • Year 3: $56,925
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,447
  • Year 2: $43,000
  • Year 3: $45,538
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,584
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $43,994
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,217
  • Year 2: $37,537
  • Year 3: $43,180
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,083
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: $41,045
Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: N/A

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