MSU Billings vs Dakota State

Montana State University Billings and Dakota State University, both public institutions, offer distinct educational experiences. MSU Billings boasts a higher acceptance rate (88%) compared to Dakota State's (79%), making it a more accessible option. Dakota State, however, has a slightly higher graduation rate (54% vs. 51%). While MSU Billings offers a broader range of undergraduate programs, Dakota State specializes in STEM fields, with popular majors like Computer Science and Information Systems. MSU Billings has a larger student body, with a more diverse demographic, while Dakota State fosters a close-knit community with a higher percentage of international students. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more key differences and make an informed decision about which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Dakota State University	Montana State University Billings
Overview
Location	Madison, South Dakota	Billings, Montana
Campus setting	Town: Distant	City: Midsize
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%	57.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.6%	Open Admission
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	$40
SAT range	1000 - 1245	N/A
ACT range	19 - 26	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%
Total number of applicants	681
Total number of admissions given out	583
Admitted students who chose to enroll	366
Yield rate	62.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Not required	N/A
High school transcript	Required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,073 Out of state: $27,175	In state: $20,258 Out of state: $33,588
Average net price	$17,572	$12,626
Tuition	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718	In state: $4,485 Out of state: $17,678
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,116 Meal plan: $3,308	Room/dormitory: $4,096 Meal plan: $3,860
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	79.0% Average amount $4,645	85.0% Average amount $5,151
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $4,987	42.0% Average amount $4,398
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $9,288	1.0% Average amount $10,623

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,751 Men 60.9% Women 39.1%	3,728 Men 35.8% Women 64.2%
Graduate students	468 Men 74.8% Women 25.2%	386 Men 23.6% Women 76.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	11.6%
International students	4.5%	1.6%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	925	480
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Montana Washington California Wyoming Idaho

Academics
Popular study areas	Computer and Information Science Education Business Liberal Arts Health Professions	Health Professions Education Liberal Arts Business Automotive Technology
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	46.8%	28.1%
Dropout rate	49.8%	41.6%
Transferred out	N/A	25.2%
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	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $58,668 Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: $56,921 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,844 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $45,907 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,616 Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $35,732 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $33,524 Year 2: $29,250 Year 3: $34,494 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,992 Year 2: $43,993 Year 3: $33,515 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $31,890 Year 3: $33,438 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,495 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $37,775 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $48,100 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: N/A

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