FLC-Durango vs Dakota State

Fort Lewis College and Dakota State University, two distinct institutions of higher learning, offer unique educational experiences to their students. Fort Lewis College, nestled in the picturesque San Juan Mountains of Colorado, boasts a diverse student body and a strong focus on liberal arts and outdoor recreation. In contrast, Dakota State University, located in the vibrant city of Madison, South Dakota, specializes in career-oriented programs in technology, business, and education. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Dakota State University	Fort Lewis College
Overview
Location	Madison, South Dakota	Durango, Colorado
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	72.0%	54.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.6%	92.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1000 - 1245	970 - 1200
ACT range	19 - 26	16 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%	24.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	24.0%
Total number of applicants	681	3,795
Total number of admissions given out	583	3,520
Admitted students who chose to enroll	366	960
Yield rate	62.8%	27.3%
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: $24,486 Out of state: $35,142
Average net price	$17,572	$15,807
Tuition	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718	In state: $7,056 Out of state: $17,712
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,116 Meal plan: $3,308	Room/dormitory: $4,796 Meal plan: $5,588
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	79.0% Average amount $4,645	93.0% Average amount $13,606
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $4,987	33.0% Average amount $4,956
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $9,288	2.0% Average amount $12,308

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,751 Men 60.9% Women 39.1%	3,449 Men 45.6% Women 54.4%
Graduate students	468 Men 74.8% Women 25.2%	118 Men 23.7% Women 76.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	64.1%
International students	4.5%	0.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	925	1,524
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Colorado New Mexico Arizona Alaska Oklahoma

Academics
Popular study areas	Computer and Information Science Education Business Liberal Arts Health Professions	Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Health Professions
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	46.8%	44.1%
Dropout rate	49.8%	19.3%
Transferred out	N/A	34.6%
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	Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,623 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $46,551 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,333 Year 2: $35,934 Year 3: $44,548 Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,786 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $42,602 Chemistry (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,208 Year 2: $32,119 Year 3: $37,787 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,074 Year 2: $33,565 Year 3: $35,906 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,932 Year 2: $24,532 Year 3: $34,632 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,053 Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $32,467 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,928 Year 2: $23,745 Year 3: $31,481 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,260 Year 2: $25,856 Year 3: $31,335 Anthropology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,895 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $30,447

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