Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) vs Wayne State College

Southwest Minnesota State University and Wayne State College, both public institutions in the Midwest, offer distinct educational experiences. Southwest Minnesota State University, located in Marshall, Minnesota, boasts a higher acceptance rate (88%) compared to Wayne State College's 79%. With a larger student body, Southwest Minnesota State University offers a more diverse range of undergraduate programs, including popular majors like Business Administration and Elementary Education. Wayne State College, situated in Wayne, Nebraska, excels in fields such as Biology and Psychology. While Southwest Minnesota State University has a slightly higher graduation rate (58%), Wayne State College offers a more affordable tuition rate. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover additional differences and similarities between these two institutions, helping you make an informed decision about your higher education journey.
Southwest Minnesota State University logo

Southwest Minnesota State University

Wayne State College logo

Wayne State College

Overview

Location Marshall, Minnesota Wayne, Nebraska
Campus setting Town: Remote Town: Distant
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 63.0% 72.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 91.0% Open Admission
Application fees
Undergraduate: $20

Graduate: $30
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 1,672
Total number of admissions given out 1,522
Admitted students who chose to enroll 421
Yield rate 27.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A Not required
High school GPA Not required N/A
Recommendation letters Not required N/A
High school transcript Not required N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required N/A

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $22,718 $20,822
Average net price $14,061 $14,428
Tuition $8,230 $5,700
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $5,426

Meal plan: $3,790
Room/dormitory: $4,130

Meal plan: $4,370
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

97.0%
Average amount $7,101
94.0%
Average amount $6,265
Students receiving federal student loan 67.0%
Average amount $5,124
53.0%
Average amount $4,910
Students taking out private loans 17.0%
Average amount $8,087
4.0%
Average amount $9,336

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 6,556
Men 38.6% Women 61.4%
3,766
Men 41.0% Women 59.0%
Graduate students 430
Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
814
Men 35.0% Women 65.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 15.0%
International students 2.5% 2.3%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 1,034 1,556
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Nebraska Iowa South Dakota Minnesota Colorado

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Education
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Communication and Journalism
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio 16:1 20:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 47.8% 50.0%
Dropout rate 20.7% 14.1%
Transferred out 29.7% 34.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,193
  • Year 2: $61,020
  • Year 3: $63,067
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,872
  • Year 2: $55,964
  • Year 3: $57,477
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,470
  • Year 2: $51,482
  • Year 3: $52,674
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,562
  • Year 2: $49,729
  • Year 3: $50,544
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $36,831
  • Year 2: $47,729
  • Year 3: $48,120
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,735
  • Year 2: $39,729
  • Year 3: $46,976
Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $41,644
  • Year 2: $43,798
  • Year 3: $46,844
Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $35,060
  • Year 3: $46,566
Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,969
  • Year 2: $34,526
  • Year 3: $42,447
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $39,729
  • Year 3: $42,232
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,390
  • Year 2: $55,286
  • Year 3: $55,282
Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,874
  • Year 2: $48,522
  • Year 3: $50,394
Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $47,092
  • Year 2: $44,091
  • Year 3: $48,568
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,750
  • Year 2: $37,503
  • Year 3: $42,014
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,503
  • Year 2: $38,108
  • Year 3: $39,915
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $33,290
  • Year 2: $32,658
  • Year 3: $38,614
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,683
  • Year 2: $34,187
  • Year 3: $38,170
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $31,547
  • Year 2: $28,236
  • Year 3: $34,925
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,829
  • Year 2: $32,284
  • Year 3: $31,951
Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,657
  • Year 2: N/A
  • 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.