North Dakota State University-Main Campus (NDSU) vs CWU-Ellensburg

North Dakota State University-Main Campus and Central Washington University, located in Fargo, North Dakota, and Ellensburg, Washington, respectively, offer distinct educational experiences. NDSU boasts a higher acceptance rate (88%) compared to CWU (76%), making it a more accessible option for prospective students. While both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, NDSU excels in engineering, agriculture, and nursing, while CWU is known for its strong programs in education, business, and aviation. NDSU's student body is predominantly White (78%) and female (56%), while CWU's student population is more diverse, with a higher percentage of Hispanic (18%) and male (52%) students. With similar graduation rates (62% for NDSU and 61% for CWU), both universities provide students with the necessary support to achieve their academic goals. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions and make an
Central Washington University logo

Central Washington University

North Dakota State University-Main Campus logo

North Dakota State University-Main Campus

Overview

Location Ellensburg, Washington Fargo, North Dakota
Campus setting Town: Distant City: Midsize
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Quarter Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 69.0% 76.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 88.4% 95.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $60

Graduate: $75
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $35
SAT range N/A 1096 - 1313
ACT range N/A 20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score 1.0%
Students submitting ACT score 63.0%
Total number of applicants 10,767 8,143
Total number of admissions given out 9,523 7,773
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,371 2,491
Yield rate 14.4% 32.0%
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) Not required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $22,248

Out of state: $38,776
In state: $23,879

Out of state: $28,354
Average net price $17,645 $16,677
Tuition
In state: $6,656

Out of state: $23,184
In state: $8,951

Out of state: $13,426
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $7,645

Meal plan: $7,957
Room/dormitory: $4,100

Meal plan: $4,778
Available payment plans
  • Prepaid tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

80.0%
Average amount $7,378
91.0%
Average amount $4,089
Students receiving federal student loan 41.0%
Average amount $4,834
60.0%
Average amount $5,226
Students taking out private loans 2.0%
Average amount $14,197
28.0%
Average amount $11,868

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 9,566
Men 47.0% Women 53.0%
10,199
Men 49.8% Women 50.2%
Graduate students 610
Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
2,262
Men 47.4% Women 52.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Very Low
Out-of-state students 6.7% 64.0%
International students 2.7% 5.5%
Campus local/setting Town: Distant City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 3,755 5,563
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Washington California Oregon Hawaii Arkansas Minnesota North Dakota Wisconsin South Dakota California

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Visual & Performing Arts
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Business
  • Agriculture
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 18:1
Institutional accreditation Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 53.6% 64.9%
Dropout rate 44.0% 10.7%
Transferred out N/A 22.3%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $72,482
  • Year 3: $86,230
Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $73,538
  • Year 2: $71,168
  • Year 3: $82,194
Quality Control and Safety Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $68,024
  • Year 2: $65,486
  • Year 3: $79,944
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,531
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $77,665
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,052
  • Year 2: $52,941
  • Year 3: $69,645
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,580
  • Year 2: $56,979
  • Year 3: $69,564
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $55,151
  • Year 3: $62,577
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $44,170
  • Year 3: $61,531
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,008
  • Year 2: $39,369
  • Year 3: $58,391
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,842
  • Year 2: $50,606
  • Year 3: $58,240
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $112,561
  • Year 2: $117,751
  • Year 3: $125,733
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $98,645
  • Year 2: $101,072
  • Year 3: $116,073
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $72,828
  • Year 3: $93,292
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,521
  • Year 2: $66,401
  • Year 3: $74,017
Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,785
  • Year 2: $64,865
  • Year 3: $72,508
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,224
  • Year 2: $65,409
  • Year 3: $72,103
Agricultural Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,019
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $69,536
Industrial Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,818
  • Year 2: $59,576
  • Year 3: $68,476
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,258
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $68,399
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,793
  • Year 2: $58,866
  • Year 3: $67,481

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