MSU Moorhead vs South Dakota State University (SDSU)

Minnesota State University Moorhead and South Dakota State University, both located in the vibrant Midwest, offer distinct educational experiences for prospective students. While they share a commitment to academic excellence, these institutions differ in several key aspects. Minnesota State University Moorhead boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students from diverse backgrounds. South Dakota State University, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong focus on student success and retention. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details, including popular majors, student body demographics, and additional factors that may influence your decision. Discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, ensuring a fulfilling and rewarding college journey.

	Minnesota State University Moorhead	South Dakota State University
Overview
Location	Moorhead, Minnesota	Brookings, 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%	80.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	71.7%	87.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1040 - 1180	980 - 1220
ACT range	19 - 25	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	2.0%	3.0%
Students submitting ACT score	69.0%	86.0%
Total number of applicants	3,143	5,774
Total number of admissions given out	2,254	5,048
Admitted students who chose to enroll	613	2,019
Yield rate	27.2%	40.0%
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: $24,304 Out of state: $27,814
Average net price	$17,254	$17,859
Tuition	In state: $8,096 Out of state: $16,192	In state: $7,773 Out of state: $11,283
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,440 Meal plan: $3,390	Room/dormitory: $4,054 Meal plan: $4,082
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	85.0% Average amount $5,127	81.0% Average amount $4,747
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $5,197	60.0% Average amount $5,063
Students taking out private loans	24.0% Average amount $9,822	17.0% Average amount $9,956

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,026 Men 37.7% Women 62.3%	9,847 Men 45.2% Women 54.8%
Graduate students	1,062 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%	1,618 Men 37.3% Women 62.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	3.0%	5.1%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,641	4,488
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	Education Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Health Professions Engineering Family and Consumer Sciences Education Agriculture
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.9%	59.5%
Dropout rate	17.9%	38.9%
Transferred out	24.1%	N/A
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	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $110,688 Year 2: $117,014 Year 3: $126,250 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $92,277 Year 3: $114,802 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,967 Year 2: $74,845 Year 3: $81,032 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,229 Year 2: $61,322 Year 3: $70,114 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,268 Year 2: $59,124 Year 3: $62,932 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,985 Year 2: $56,234 Year 3: $61,104 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,372 Year 2: $57,860 Year 3: $60,463 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,551 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $59,988 Plant Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,213 Year 2: $55,151 Year 3: $55,715 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $54,439

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