Black Hills State University (BHSU) vs Western Colorado University

Black Hills State University and Western Colorado University, both located in picturesque regions of the United States, offer distinct educational experiences. Black Hills State, nestled in the heart of the Black Hills of South Dakota, boasts a close-knit community and a strong focus on undergraduate education. Western Colorado, situated in the vibrant town of Gunnison, Colorado, is known for its stunning mountain views and emphasis on experiential learning. While both universities share similarities, they also have unique characteristics that set them apart. This side-by-side comparison delves into the acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates of these two institutions, providing valuable insights to help prospective students make informed decisions about their academic journey.

	Black Hills State University	Western Colorado University
Overview
Location	Spearfish, South Dakota	Gunnison, Colorado
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Town: Remote
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%	74.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.3%	90.9%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $50
SAT range	970 - 1150	1040 - 1230
ACT range	18 - 23	21 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	6.0%	37.0%
Students submitting ACT score	79.0%	11.0%
Total number of applicants	1,382	3,243
Total number of admissions given out	1,344	2,947
Admitted students who chose to enroll	452	456
Yield rate	33.6%	15.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,100 Out of state: $25,200	In state: $26,956 Out of state: $38,740
Average net price	$15,895	$17,490
Tuition	In state: $7,700 Out of state: $10,800	In state: $6,816 Out of state: $18,600
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,680 Meal plan: $3,622	Room/dormitory: $5,200 Meal plan: $4,790
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	89.0% Average amount $4,736	87.0% Average amount $8,085
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $4,966	56.0% Average amount $4,669
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $9,709	7.0% Average amount $12,501

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,346 Men 36.8% Women 63.2%	3,241 Men 51.4% Women 48.6%
Graduate students	193 Men 34.2% Women 65.8%	448 Men 31.2% Women 68.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	34.9%
International students	1.5%	0.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	811	1,241
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Colorado Texas California Alaska Illinois

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Psychology	Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Natural Resources and Conservation Business Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	42.5%	47.6%
Dropout rate	55.3%	32.8%
Transferred out	N/A	17.2%
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	Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $50,432 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $29,076 Year 2: $40,365 Year 3: $45,493 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,272 Year 2: $40,488 Year 3: $43,479 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,324 Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $39,884 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,326 Year 2: $28,405 Year 3: $39,040 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,244 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $37,581 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $18,798 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $36,678 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,585 Year 3: $35,898 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,963 Year 2: $27,947 Year 3: $35,691 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,793 Year 2: $27,874 Year 3: $34,114

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