NSU-Aberdeen vs Eastern Washington University

Northern State University and Eastern Washington University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Northern State, nestled in the vibrant city of Aberdeen, South Dakota, boasts a tight-knit community with a focus on personalized attention. Eastern Washington, located in the scenic town of Cheney, Washington, prides itself on its diverse student body and strong academic programs. While both universities share a commitment to excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Eastern Washington University	Northern State University
Overview
Location	Cheney, Washington	Aberdeen, South Dakota
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Remote
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	67.0%	68.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.1%	79.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	N/A	1020 - 1190
ACT range	N/A	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score		5.0%
Students submitting ACT score		80.0%
Total number of applicants	4,232	1,229
Total number of admissions given out	4,108	981
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,305	337
Yield rate	31.8%	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	In state: $22,889 Out of state: $40,715	In state: $23,495 Out of state: $26,597
Average net price	$13,650	$16,821
Tuition	In state: $6,896 Out of state: $24,722	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $7,210 Meal plan: $5,850	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)	92.0% Average amount $8,167	89.0% Average amount $5,662
Students receiving federal student loan	33.0% Average amount $4,615	65.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $11,314	10.0% Average amount $9,043

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,217 Men 42.6% Women 57.4%	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	2,675 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	38.9%
International students	0.9%	2.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,788	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 Education Health Professions Psychology Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.6%	47.6%
Dropout rate	47.2%	25.4%
Transferred out	N/A	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $71,516 Year 2: $75,130 Year 3: $76,175 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,738 Year 2: $63,335 Year 3: $70,016 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,361 Year 2: $62,707 Year 3: $67,620 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,357 Year 2: $56,979 Year 3: $67,340 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,595 Year 2: $66,355 Year 3: $64,552 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $63,074 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,780 Year 2: $55,770 Year 3: $62,367 Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,875 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $61,920 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,800 Year 2: $54,331 Year 3: $59,835 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,118 Year 2: $53,894 Year 3: $59,009	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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