Dakota Wesleyan University vs Augustana University

Dakota Wesleyan University and Augustana University, both located in South Dakota, offer distinct educational experiences. Dakota Wesleyan, a private institution, boasts a smaller student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to Augustana, a private Lutheran university. While Augustana offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, Dakota Wesleyan excels in specific areas such as nursing and education. Both universities have impressive graduation rates, with Augustana slightly edging out Dakota Wesleyan. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Augustana University	Dakota Wesleyan University
Overview
Location	Sioux Falls, South Dakota	Mitchell, South Dakota
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	71.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Evangelical	Methodism

Admission
Acceptance rate	71.8%	75.7%
Application fees	$60	$110
SAT range	1020 - 1300	860 - 1100
ACT range	22 - 28	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	7.0%	3.0%
Students submitting ACT score	73.0%	60.0%
Total number of applicants	2,257	1,047
Total number of admissions given out	1,621	793
Admitted students who chose to enroll	467	169
Yield rate	28.8%	21.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$55,114	$43,080
Average net price	$26,795	$21,830
Tuition	$34,934	$29,700
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,930 Meal plan: $4,928	Room/dormitory: $3,350 Meal plan: $4,200
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $24,606	100.0% Average amount $18,033
Students receiving federal student loan	66.0% Average amount $6,261	92.0% Average amount $5,049
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $13,036	26.0% Average amount $13,323

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,715 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%	770 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%
Graduate students	307 Men 26.1% Women 73.9%	156 Men 35.3% Women 64.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	44.6%	N/A
International students	6.5%	1.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,380	520
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Dakota Minnesota Iowa Nebraska Colorado	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Foreign Languages and Literatures Business	Business Health Professions Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	11:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	70.6%	54.9%
Dropout rate	9.3%	38.3%
Transferred out	19.9%	6.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,050 Year 2: $57,724 Year 3: $60,403 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,860 Year 2: $44,666 Year 3: $51,957 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,320 Year 2: $48,883 Year 3: $49,768 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,995 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: $47,863 Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,410 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $43,036 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: $42,736 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,851 Year 3: $42,185 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,193 Year 2: $37,928 Year 3: $40,435 Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,009 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,155 Year 2: $57,603 Year 3: $64,357 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,512 Year 3: $55,254 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $42,345 Human Services, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: $39,391 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $28,019 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,046 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,416 Year 3: N/A Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,623 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: N/A

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