Black Hills State University (BHSU) vs MSU Billings

Black Hills State University and Montana State University Billings, both located in the picturesque Western United States, offer distinct educational experiences. Black Hills State, nestled in the heart of the Black Hills, boasts a close-knit community with a lower acceptance rate, making it a more selective institution. Montana State University Billings, situated in the vibrant city of Billings, offers a diverse student body and a higher acceptance rate, providing a more accessible path to higher education. While both universities excel in various academic programs, Black Hills State is renowned for its strong teacher education and nursing programs, while Montana State University Billings shines in business and engineering fields. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique offerings, including graduation rates, student demographics, and popular majors, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Black Hills State University	Montana State University Billings
Overview
Location	Spearfish, South Dakota	Billings, Montana
Campus setting	Town: Distant	City: Midsize
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	61.0%	57.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.3%	Open Admission
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	$40
SAT range	970 - 1150	N/A
ACT range	18 - 23	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	6.0%
Students submitting ACT score	79.0%
Total number of applicants	1,382
Total number of admissions given out	1,344
Admitted students who chose to enroll	452
Yield rate	33.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Not required	N/A
High school transcript	Required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,100 Out of state: $25,200	In state: $20,258 Out of state: $33,588
Average net price	$15,895	$12,626
Tuition	In state: $7,700 Out of state: $10,800	In state: $4,485 Out of state: $17,678
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,680 Meal plan: $3,622	Room/dormitory: $4,096 Meal plan: $3,860
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	89.0% Average amount $4,736	85.0% Average amount $5,151
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $4,966	42.0% Average amount $4,398
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $9,709	1.0% Average amount $10,623

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,346 Men 36.8% Women 63.2%	3,728 Men 35.8% Women 64.2%
Graduate students	193 Men 34.2% Women 65.8%	386 Men 23.6% Women 76.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	11.6%
International students	1.5%	1.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	811	480
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Montana Washington California Wyoming Idaho

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Psychology	Health Professions Education Liberal Arts Business Automotive Technology
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	42.5%	28.1%
Dropout rate	55.3%	41.6%
Transferred out	N/A	25.2%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,943 Year 2: $40,768 Year 3: $42,268 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,857 Year 2: $40,768 Year 3: $40,091 Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,787 Year 2: $41,725 Year 3: $40,061 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $36,708 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $39,098 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,641 Year 2: $36,914 Year 3: $38,083 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,611 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $35,921 Community Organization and Advocacy (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,934 Year 2: $33,138 Year 3: $32,359 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,162 Year 2: $27,295 Year 3: $25,186 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,294 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,515 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $58,668 Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: $56,921 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,844 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $45,907 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,616 Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $35,732 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,524 Year 2: $29,250 Year 3: $34,494 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,992 Year 2: $43,993 Year 3: $33,515 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,890 Year 3: $33,438 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,495 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,775 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $48,100 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A

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