South Dakota State University (SDSU) vs University of Mary (UMary)

South Dakota State University (SDSU) and University of Mary (UMary) are two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. SDSU, a public research university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (88%) compared to UMary's more selective admissions process (75%). Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with SDSU excelling in fields like agriculture, engineering, and nursing, while UMary is known for its strengths in business, education, and healthcare. While SDSU's student body is predominantly white (78%), UMary's student population is more diverse, with a significant proportion of Native American students (22%). In terms of graduation rates, SDSU has a slightly higher four-year graduation rate (42%) compared to UMary's 38%. To help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into these aspects and
South Dakota State University logo

South Dakota State University

University of Mary logo

University of Mary

Overview

Location Brookings, South Dakota Bismarck, North Dakota
Campus setting Town: Remote Rural: Fringe
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 80.0% 77.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 87.4% 78.8%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $20

Graduate: $35
Undergraduate: $30

Graduate: $45
SAT range 980 - 1220 N/A
ACT range 19 - 25 N/A
Students submitting SAT score 3.0%
Students submitting ACT score 86.0%
Total number of applicants 5,774 1,532
Total number of admissions given out 5,048 1,207
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,019 510
Yield rate 40.0% 42.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $24,304

Out of state: $27,814
$35,370
Average net price $17,859 $19,474
Tuition
In state: $7,773

Out of state: $11,283
$18,340
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,054

Meal plan: $4,082
Room/dormitory: $3,690

Meal plan: $4,300
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

81.0%
Average amount $4,747
100.0%
Average amount $11,954
Students receiving federal student loan 60.0%
Average amount $5,063
65.0%
Average amount $5,176
Students taking out private loans 17.0%
Average amount $9,956
20.0%
Average amount $10,222

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 9,847
Men 45.2% Women 54.8%
2,579
Men 41.5% Women 58.5%
Graduate students 1,618
Men 37.3% Women 62.7%
1,215
Men 30.4% Women 69.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 64.5%
International students 5.1% 0.1%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Rural: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 4,488 1,325
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 Wisconsin California Montana

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Education
  • Agriculture
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio 17:1 15:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 59.5% 64.3%
Dropout rate 38.9% 31.5%
Transferred out N/A 2.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,688
  • Year 2: $117,014
  • Year 3: $126,250
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $92,277
  • Year 3: $114,802
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,967
  • Year 2: $74,845
  • Year 3: $81,032
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,229
  • Year 2: $61,322
  • Year 3: $70,114
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,268
  • Year 2: $59,124
  • Year 3: $62,932
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,985
  • Year 2: $56,234
  • Year 3: $61,104
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,372
  • Year 2: $57,860
  • Year 3: $60,463
Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,551
  • Year 2: $56,776
  • Year 3: $59,988
Plant Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,213
  • Year 2: $55,151
  • Year 3: $55,715
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $43,798
  • Year 3: $54,439
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $86,755
  • Year 2: $94,408
  • Year 3: $91,441
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,785
  • Year 2: $60,230
  • Year 3: $65,123
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,166
  • Year 2: $54,359
  • Year 3: $62,069
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,298
  • Year 2: $63,997
  • Year 3: $59,512
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,302
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,222
  • Year 2: $38,289
  • Year 3: N/A
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,750
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $33,281
  • Year 3: N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,621
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,370
  • Year 2: $56,641
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.