Dakota State vs NSU-Aberdeen

Dakota State University and Northern State University, both esteemed public universities in South Dakota, offer distinct educational experiences. Dakota State, known for its focus on technology and business, boasts a higher acceptance rate (88%) compared to Northern State's 78%. While Northern State excels in liberal arts and education, Dakota State shines in computer and information sciences, attracting students with its strong STEM programs. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and popular majors, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and career goals.

	Dakota State University	Northern State University
Overview
Location	Madison, South Dakota	Aberdeen, South Dakota
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	72.0%	68.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.6%	79.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1000 - 1245	1020 - 1190
ACT range	19 - 26	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	80.0%
Total number of applicants	681	1,229
Total number of admissions given out	583	981
Admitted students who chose to enroll	366	337
Yield rate	62.8%	34.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	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: $23,495 Out of state: $26,597
Average net price	$17,572	$16,821
Tuition	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,116 Meal plan: $3,308	Room/dormitory: $4,800 Meal plan: $4,350
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	79.0% Average amount $4,645	89.0% Average amount $5,662
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $4,987	65.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $9,288	10.0% Average amount $9,043

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,751 Men 60.9% Women 39.1%	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	468 Men 74.8% Women 25.2%	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	38.9%
International students	4.5%	2.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	925	853
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	South Dakota Minnesota North Dakota Iowa Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Computer and Information Science Education Business Liberal Arts Health Professions	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	46.8%	47.6%
Dropout rate	49.8%	25.4%
Transferred out	N/A	22.9%
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	Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $49,248 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $46,732 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,902 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $46,239 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,575 Year 3: $45,796 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,996 Year 2: $40,728 Year 3: $45,442 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,033 Year 2: $39,523 Year 3: $39,953 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,526 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,845 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,862 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,824 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,740 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: N/A

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