Dakota State vs Valley City State University (VCSU)

Dakota State University and Valley City State University, both esteemed public institutions in South Dakota, offer unique educational experiences tailored to students' aspirations. Dakota State, located in Madison, boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing more students to pursue their academic goals. Valley City, nestled in Valley City, stands out with its smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. While Dakota State excels in computer and information sciences, Valley City shines in education and liberal arts. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including graduation rates, student demographics, and additional program offerings, to make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Dakota State University	Valley City State University
Overview
Location	Madison, South Dakota	Valley City, North 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%	61.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.6%	81.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1000 - 1245	935 - 1190
ACT range	19 - 26	17 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%	7.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	68.0%
Total number of applicants	681	442
Total number of admissions given out	583	360
Admitted students who chose to enroll	366	196
Yield rate	62.8%	54.4%
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: $20,016 Out of state: $24,790
Average net price	$17,572	$13,243
Tuition	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718	In state: $6,364 Out of state: $11,138
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,116 Meal plan: $3,308	Room/dormitory: $2,505 Meal plan: $4,414
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	79.0% Average amount $4,645	99.0% Average amount $5,907
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $4,987	66.0% Average amount $4,794
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $9,288	17.0% Average amount $6,743

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,751 Men 60.9% Women 39.1%	1,523 Men 41.8% Women 58.2%
Graduate students	468 Men 74.8% Women 25.2%	163 Men 32.5% Women 67.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	36.9%
International students	4.5%	1.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	925	462
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	North Dakota Minnesota Alaska Hawaii Colorado

Academics
Popular study areas	Computer and Information Science Education Business Liberal Arts Health Professions	Education Visual & Performing Arts Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	46.8%	53.2%
Dropout rate	49.8%	17.9%
Transferred out	N/A	28.9%
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	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,075 Year 2: $53,775 Year 3: $56,925 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,447 Year 2: $43,000 Year 3: $45,538 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,584 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $43,994 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,217 Year 2: $37,537 Year 3: $43,180 Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,083 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $41,045 Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A

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Dakota State vs Valley City State University (VCSU)

Dakota State University

Valley City State University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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