BSC-Bismarck vs South Dakota University

Bismarck State College and University of South Dakota, two esteemed institutions of higher learning in North Dakota and South Dakota, respectively, offer distinct educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. Bismarck State College, a two-year community college, prides itself on its open admissions policy, welcoming students from all backgrounds. In contrast, the University of South Dakota, a public research university, maintains a selective admissions process, ensuring a rigorous academic environment. While both institutions offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, Bismarck State College specializes in associate degrees and career-oriented programs, while the University of South Dakota excels in bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, including research-intensive programs. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, empowering you to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Bismarck State College	University of South Dakota
Overview
Location	Bismarck, North Dakota	Vermillion, South Dakota
Campus setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate		77.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	87.0%
Application fees	$35	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	N/A	1050 - 1290
ACT range	N/A	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score		3.0%
Students submitting ACT score		80.0%
Total number of applicants		4,272
Total number of admissions given out		3,717
Admitted students who chose to enroll		1,233
Yield rate		33.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Not required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $16,883 Out of state: $18,887	In state: $25,657 Out of state: $29,167
Average net price	$10,249	$18,974
Tuition	In state: $4,007 Out of state: $6,011	In state: $7,773 Out of state: $11,283
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,649 Meal plan: $3,808	Room/dormitory: $4,366 Meal plan: $4,234
Available payment plans		Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	61.0% Average amount $3,903	84.0% Average amount $5,196
Students receiving federal student loan	43.0% Average amount $4,890	60.0% Average amount $5,102
Students taking out private loans	8.0% Average amount $8,086	14.0% Average amount $9,890

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,549 Men 52.5% Women 47.5%	6,987 Men 35.9% Women 64.1%
Graduate students	N/A	2,477 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	5.2%	39.4%
International students	0.4%	2.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	425	2,154
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 Iowa Nebraska Minnesota Wisconsin

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

Outcome
Graduation rate	52.6%	60.1%
Dropout rate	26.1%	14.2%
Transferred out	13.7%	24.5%
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	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $110,722 Year 2: $100,951 Year 3: $109,099 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $88,473 Year 2: $97,071 Year 3: $100,634 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,587 Year 2: $68,778 Year 3: $81,751 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $70,456 Year 3: $69,478 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,040 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $68,456 Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $58,011 Year 2: $57,860 Year 3: $68,011 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $62,632 Year 3: $64,788 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $65,801 Year 2: $65,170 Year 3: $64,105 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,161 Year 2: $62,260 Year 3: $63,921 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $46,986 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $61,718

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