Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) vs NSU-Aberdeen

Missouri Southern State University and Northern State University, located in opposite corners of the country, offer distinct educational experiences. Missouri Southern, nestled in Joplin, Missouri, boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. Northern State, situated in Aberdeen, South Dakota, has a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. Both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with Missouri Southern excelling in business and health professions, while Northern State shines in education and nursing. Discover which university aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences by exploring the detailed comparison table below.

	Missouri Southern State University	Northern State University
Overview
Location	Joplin, Missouri	Aberdeen, South Dakota
Campus setting	City: Small	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	59.0%	68.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.9%	79.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	950 - 1170	1020 - 1190
ACT range	18 - 24	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	6.0%	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	80.0%
Total number of applicants	1,695	1,229
Total number of admissions given out	1,642	981
Admitted students who chose to enroll	578	337
Yield rate	35.2%	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: $19,321 Out of state: $26,913	In state: $23,495 Out of state: $26,597
Average net price	$9,703	$16,821
Tuition	In state: $7,244 Out of state: $14,836	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,400 Meal plan: $5,652	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)	94.0% Average amount $6,885	89.0% Average amount $5,662
Students receiving federal student loan	46.0% Average amount $4,602	65.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $8,077	10.0% Average amount $9,043

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,245 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	107 Men 32.7% Women 67.3%	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	22.1%	38.9%
International students	2.5%	2.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	735	853
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Missouri Kansas Arkansas Oklahoma Texas	South Dakota Minnesota North Dakota Iowa Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Law Enforcement and Firefighting Education Liberal Arts	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	37.0%	47.6%
Dropout rate	32.2%	25.4%
Transferred out	27.4%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $64,678 Dental Support Services and Allied Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $51,482 Year 3: $54,298 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,753 Year 2: $54,515 Year 3: $54,231 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,466 Year 2: $47,930 Year 3: $52,943 Health Professions and Related Clinical Sciences, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $47,016 Year 2: $43,426 Year 3: $49,539 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,123 Year 3: $42,995 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,297 Year 2: $38,946 Year 3: $42,227 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,440 Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $40,971 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,859 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $40,702 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,697 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $37,967	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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