MSU Moorhead vs NSU-Aberdeen

Minnesota State University Moorhead and Northern State University, both located in the vibrant Upper Midwest, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. While they share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they differ in several key aspects. Minnesota State University Moorhead boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body, while Northern State University maintains a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that may influence your decision. Discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting the stage for a fulfilling and transformative college journey.

	Minnesota State University Moorhead	Northern State University
Overview
Location	Moorhead, Minnesota	Aberdeen, South Dakota
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	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	69.0%	68.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	71.7%	79.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1040 - 1180	1020 - 1190
ACT range	19 - 25	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	2.0%	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	69.0%	80.0%
Total number of applicants	3,143	1,229
Total number of admissions given out	2,254	981
Admitted students who chose to enroll	613	337
Yield rate	27.2%	34.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,884 Out of state: $31,980	In state: $23,495 Out of state: $26,597
Average net price	$17,254	$16,821
Tuition	In state: $8,096 Out of state: $16,192	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,440 Meal plan: $3,390	Room/dormitory: $4,800 Meal plan: $4,350
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	85.0% Average amount $5,127	89.0% Average amount $5,662
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $5,197	65.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	24.0% Average amount $9,822	10.0% Average amount $9,043

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,026 Men 37.7% Women 62.3%	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	1,062 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	38.9%
International students	3.0%	2.1%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,641	853
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	South Dakota Minnesota North Dakota Iowa Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.9%	47.6%
Dropout rate	17.9%	25.4%
Transferred out	24.1%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,373 Year 2: $64,865 Year 3: $73,641 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,801 Year 2: $64,865 Year 3: $70,289 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,890 Year 2: $66,325 Year 3: $66,636 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,508 Year 2: $46,999 Year 3: $53,464 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,137 Year 2: $51,690 Year 3: $51,598 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,524 Year 2: $48,600 Year 3: $50,567 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,403 Year 2: $42,309 Year 3: $46,977 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,318 Year 2: $41,689 Year 3: $46,403 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,016 Year 2: $45,500 Year 3: $45,809 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,835 Year 2: $25,774 Year 3: $44,558	Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $49,248 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $46,732 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,902 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $46,239 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,575 Year 3: $45,796 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,996 Year 2: $40,728 Year 3: $45,442 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,033 Year 2: $39,523 Year 3: $39,953 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,526 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,845 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,862 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $20,824 Year 3: N/A Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $38,740 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: N/A

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