MSU Billings vs NSU-Aberdeen

Montana State University Billings and Northern State University, both located in the vibrant Northern Plains region, offer distinct educational experiences. MSU Billings boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for students. NSU, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. While MSU Billings offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, NSU excels in specific areas such as education and nursing. Explore the detailed comparison table to delve into further differences, including student body demographics, popular majors, and financial aid opportunities, to determine which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Montana State University Billings	Northern State University
Overview
Location	Billings, Montana	Aberdeen, South Dakota
Campus setting	City: 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	57.0%	68.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	Open Admission	79.8%
Application fees	$40	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	N/A	1020 - 1190
ACT range	N/A	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score		5.0%
Students submitting ACT score		80.0%
Total number of applicants		1,229
Total number of admissions given out		981
Admitted students who chose to enroll		337
Yield rate		34.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)		N/A
High school GPA	N/A	Required
Recommendation letters	N/A	Not required
High school transcript	N/A	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	N/A	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $20,258 Out of state: $33,588	In state: $23,495 Out of state: $26,597
Average net price	$12,626	$16,821
Tuition	In state: $4,485 Out of state: $17,678	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,096 Meal plan: $3,860	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 $5,151	89.0% Average amount $5,662
Students receiving federal student loan	42.0% Average amount $4,398	65.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $10,623	10.0% Average amount $9,043

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,728 Men 35.8% Women 64.2%	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	386 Men 23.6% Women 76.4%	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	11.6%	38.9%
International students	1.6%	2.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	480	853
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Montana Washington California Wyoming Idaho	South Dakota Minnesota North Dakota Iowa Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Education Liberal Arts Business Automotive Technology	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	28.1%	47.6%
Dropout rate	41.6%	25.4%
Transferred out	25.2%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	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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