Fairmont State vs Black Hills State University (BHSU)

Fairmont State University and Black Hills State University, both public institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Fairmont State, nestled in the scenic hills of West Virginia, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for aspiring students. Black Hills State, located in the vibrant city of Spearfish, South Dakota, stands out with its lower student-to-faculty ratio, ensuring personalized attention and a supportive learning environment. While Fairmont State excels in fields like business, education, and nursing, Black Hills State shines in areas such as natural resources, health sciences, and teacher education. Explore the detailed comparison table to uncover more key differences, including student body demographics, graduation rates, and available programs, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic goals and preferences.

	Black Hills State University	Fairmont State University
Overview
Location	Spearfish, 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	61.0%	61.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	97.3%	98.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	$50
SAT range	970 - 1150	900 - 1090
ACT range	18 - 23	17 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	6.0%	46.0%
Students submitting ACT score	79.0%	34.0%
Total number of applicants	1,382	1,767
Total number of admissions given out	1,344	1,745
Admitted students who chose to enroll	452	655
Yield rate	33.6%	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)	Not required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $22,100 Out of state: $25,200	In state: $20,914 Out of state: $30,172
Average net price	$15,895	$11,277
Tuition	In state: $7,700 Out of state: $10,800	In state: $5,946 Out of state: $14,992
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $3,680 Meal plan: $3,622	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)	89.0% Average amount $4,736	94.0% Average amount $6,593
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $4,966	53.0% Average amount $4,996
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $9,709	6.0% Average amount $11,907

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,346 Men 36.8% Women 63.2%	3,273 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	193 Men 34.2% Women 65.8%	289 Men 32.9% Women 67.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	11.1%
International students	1.5%	1.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	811	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	Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Psychology	Health Professions Engineering Technologies Education Liberal Arts Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	42.5%	45.4%
Dropout rate	55.3%	33.9%
Transferred out	N/A	20.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,943 Year 2: $40,768 Year 3: $42,268 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,857 Year 2: $40,768 Year 3: $40,091 Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,787 Year 2: $41,725 Year 3: $40,061 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $36,708 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $39,098 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,641 Year 2: $36,914 Year 3: $38,083 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,611 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $35,921 Community Organization and Advocacy (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,934 Year 2: $33,138 Year 3: $32,359 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,162 Year 2: $27,295 Year 3: $25,186 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,294 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,515 Year 2: N/A 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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