Colorado Mesa vs Dakota State

Colorado Mesa University and Dakota State University, both offering unique educational experiences, stand apart in several aspects. Colorado Mesa, located in Grand Junction, Colorado, boasts a higher acceptance rate of 86% compared to Dakota State's 75% in Madison, South Dakota. While Dakota State excels in computer and information sciences, Colorado Mesa offers a wider range of popular majors, including business, education, and health professions. With a larger student body, Colorado Mesa fosters a diverse community, while Dakota State maintains a close-knit atmosphere. Graduation rates reveal a slight edge for Colorado Mesa, with 58% of students completing their degrees within six years, compared to Dakota State's 56%. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more distinctions and make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Colorado Mesa University logo

Colorado Mesa University

Dakota State University logo

Dakota State University

Overview

Location Grand Junction, Colorado Madison, 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 and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 72.0% 72.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 80.2% 85.6%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $30

Graduate: $50
Undergraduate: $20

Graduate: $35
SAT range 948 - 1200 1000 - 1245
ACT range 19 - 26 19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score 45.0% 11.0%
Students submitting ACT score 13.0% 80.0%
Total number of applicants 8,082 681
Total number of admissions given out 6,485 583
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,855 366
Yield rate 28.6% 62.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $22,148

Out of state: $35,470
In state: $24,073

Out of state: $27,175
Average net price $15,324 $17,572
Tuition
In state: $8,020

Out of state: $21,342
In state: $7,616

Out of state: $10,718
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,100

Meal plan: $5,165
Room/dormitory: $4,116

Meal plan: $3,308
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

81.0%
Average amount $7,228
79.0%
Average amount $4,645
Students receiving federal student loan 42.0%
Average amount $4,950
58.0%
Average amount $4,987
Students taking out private loans 4.0%
Average amount $12,590
11.0%
Average amount $9,288

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 8,712
Men 45.9% Women 54.1%
2,751
Men 60.9% Women 39.1%
Graduate students 195
Men 34.9% Women 65.1%
468
Men 74.8% Women 25.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 16.8% N/A
International students 1.1% 4.5%
Campus local/setting City: Small Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 2,661 925
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Colorado California Texas Washington Utah N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Law Enforcement and Firefighting
  • Liberal Arts
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Education
  • Business
  • Liberal Arts
  • Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 18:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 38.1% 46.8%
Dropout rate 31.0% 49.8%
Transferred out 27.0% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,879
  • Year 2: $63,997
  • Year 3: $67,005
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,281
  • Year 2: $59,485
  • Year 3: $64,998
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,101
  • Year 2: $60,746
  • Year 3: $63,677
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,946
  • Year 2: $47,260
  • Year 3: $59,293
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $58,673
  • Year 3: $58,361
Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $43,240
  • Year 3: $57,344
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,940
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $52,944
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,215
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $52,774
Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants (Associate's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $39,153
  • Year 3: $48,680
Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,157
  • Year 2: $39,504
  • Year 3: $46,603
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $49,983
  • Year 2: $51,035
  • Year 3: $66,125
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,841
  • Year 2: $39,369
  • Year 3: $46,318
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,973
  • Year 2: $55,964
  • Year 3: $44,718
Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $41,205
  • Year 3: $44,370
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $43,878
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $39,153
  • Year 3: $38,114
Computer Software and Media Applications (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,986
  • Year 2: $28,598
  • Year 3: $31,143
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,122
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $42,967
  • Year 2: $55,964
  • Year 3: N/A
Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,795
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: N/A

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