BSC-Bismarck vs NSU-Aberdeen

Bismarck State College and Northern State University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in North Dakota, offer distinct educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. Bismarck State College, a two-year community college, boasts an open admissions policy, welcoming students from all backgrounds. In contrast, Northern State University, a four-year public university, maintains a selective admissions process, ensuring a rigorous academic environment. While Bismarck State College excels in associate degree programs, particularly in technical and vocational fields, Northern State University offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degrees, including specialized programs in nursing, education, and business. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions between these institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Bismarck State College	Northern State University
Overview
Location	Bismarck, North Dakota	Aberdeen, South Dakota
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate		68.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	79.8%
Application fees	$35	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		1,229
Total number of admissions given out		981
Admitted students who chose to enroll		337
Yield rate		34.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $16,883 Out of state: $18,887	In state: $23,495 Out of state: $26,597
Average net price	$10,249	$16,821
Tuition	In state: $4,007 Out of state: $6,011	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,649 Meal plan: $3,808	Room/dormitory: $4,800 Meal plan: $4,350
Available payment plans		Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	61.0% Average amount $3,903	89.0% Average amount $5,662
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $4,890	65.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $8,086	10.0% Average amount $9,043

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,549 Men 52.5% Women 47.5%	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	N/A	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	5.2%	38.9%
International students	0.4%	2.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	425	853
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	North Dakota Minnesota South Dakota Montana Iowa	South Dakota Minnesota North Dakota Iowa Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Technologies Health Professions Business Construction Trades Liberal Arts	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	52.6%	47.6%
Dropout rate	26.1%	25.4%
Transferred out	13.7%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $94,930 Year 2: $104,749 Year 3: $113,181 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $64,379 Year 2: $83,669 Year 3: $94,725 Electrical Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $81,394 Year 2: $76,773 Year 3: $87,805 Electromechanical Instrumentation and Maintenance Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $76,908 Year 2: $74,576 Year 3: $79,845 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $54,207 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $57,868 Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $54,093 Year 2: $48,600 Year 3: $57,431 Agricultural Business and Management (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $45,724 Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $43,880 Business/Commerce, General (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $38,353 Year 2: $33,687 Year 3: $37,018 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $30,254 Year 2: $28,500 Year 3: $36,803 Business Operations Support and Assistant Services (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,670 Year 3: N/A	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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