Dakota Wesleyan University vs Northwestern College

Dakota Wesleyan University and Northwestern College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Dakota Wesleyan, located in Mitchell, South Dakota, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Northwestern, situated in Orange City, Iowa, stands out with its higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. While Dakota Wesleyan offers a broader range of undergraduate programs, including popular majors like Business Administration and Elementary Education, Northwestern excels in specific fields such as Engineering and Computer Science. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, tuition fees, and available financial aid options, to determine which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Dakota Wesleyan University	Northwestern College
Overview
Location	Mitchell, South Dakota	Orange City, Iowa
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	71.0%	83.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Methodism	Protestant

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.7%	83.0%
Application fees	$110
SAT range	860 - 1100	940 - 1240
ACT range	19 - 25	20 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	3.0%	8.0%
Students submitting ACT score	60.0%	82.0%
Total number of applicants	1,047	1,172
Total number of admissions given out	793	973
Admitted students who chose to enroll	169	268
Yield rate	21.3%	27.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not 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	$43,080	$47,650
Average net price	$21,830	$24,848
Tuition	$29,700	$33,350
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,350 Meal plan: $4,200	$10,000
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $18,033	100.0% Average amount $21,873
Students receiving federal student loan	92.0% Average amount $5,049	69.0% Average amount $5,257
Students taking out private loans	26.0% Average amount $13,323	21.0% Average amount $10,813

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	770 Men 42.9% Women 57.1%	1,053 Men 48.7% Women 51.3%
Graduate students	156 Men 35.3% Women 64.7%	460 Men 24.3% Women 75.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.1%	2.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	520	995
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Education Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	54.9%	70.8%
Dropout rate	38.3%	6.5%
Transferred out	6.9%	22.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,719 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,017 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,993 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,925 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,080 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,227 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: N/A Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,185 Year 2: $41,193 Year 3: N/A

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