Dakota State vs Fairmont State

Dakota State University and Fairmont State University, both public institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Dakota State, located in Madison, South Dakota, is known for its strong emphasis on technology and computer science, reflected in its high acceptance rate and popular majors like computer science and information systems. Fairmont State, situated in Fairmont, West Virginia, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, including popular majors such as nursing, education, and business administration. While both universities offer a supportive learning environment, their unique strengths and characteristics may appeal to different students. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Dakota State University	Fairmont State University
Overview
Location	Madison, South Dakota	Fairmont, West Virginia
Campus setting	Town: Distant	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%	61.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.6%	98.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	$50
SAT range	1000 - 1245	900 - 1090
ACT range	19 - 26	17 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%	46.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	34.0%
Total number of applicants	681	1,767
Total number of admissions given out	583	1,745
Admitted students who chose to enroll	366	655
Yield rate	62.8%	37.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,073 Out of state: $27,175	In state: $20,914 Out of state: $30,172
Average net price	$17,572	$11,277
Tuition	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718	In state: $5,946 Out of state: $14,992
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,116 Meal plan: $3,308	Room/dormitory: $5,624 Meal plan: $4,574
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	79.0% Average amount $4,645	94.0% Average amount $6,593
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $4,987	53.0% Average amount $4,996
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $9,288	6.0% Average amount $11,907

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,751 Men 60.9% Women 39.1%	3,273 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	468 Men 74.8% Women 25.2%	289 Men 32.9% Women 67.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	11.1%
International students	4.5%	1.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	925	1,058
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	West Virginia Pennsylvania Maryland Virginia Ohio

Academics
Popular study areas	Computer and Information Science Education Business Liberal Arts Health Professions	Health Professions Engineering Technologies Education Liberal Arts Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	46.8%	45.4%
Dropout rate	49.8%	33.9%
Transferred out	N/A	20.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,279 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $62,993 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,620 Year 2: $63,855 Year 3: $61,157 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,294 Year 2: $54,153 Year 3: $58,294 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $58,529 Year 2: $56,641 Year 3: $56,475 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,809 Year 2: $37,306 Year 3: $43,308 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,042 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $41,321 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,631 Year 2: $30,409 Year 3: $39,952 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,253 Year 2: $31,189 Year 3: $39,801 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,125 Year 2: $31,495 Year 3: $38,357 Education, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,334 Year 2: $28,816 Year 3: $34,425

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