Northern Michigan University (NMU) vs South Dakota State University (SDSU)

Northern Michigan University and South Dakota State University, both public institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Northern Michigan University, nestled in the picturesque Upper Peninsula, boasts a smaller student body and a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible option for prospective students. South Dakota State University, located in the vibrant city of Brookings, attracts a larger and more diverse student population, reflected in its lower acceptance rate. While both universities offer a wide range of academic programs, Northern Michigan University excels in fields like nursing, education, and business, while South Dakota State University shines in engineering, agriculture, and health sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these universities' unique strengths, student demographics, graduation rates, and other key factors that will help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Northern Michigan University	South Dakota State University
Overview
Location	Marquette, Michigan	Brookings, South Dakota
Campus setting	Town: Remote	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	72.0%	80.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	71.3%	87.4%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	N/A	980 - 1220
ACT range	N/A	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score		3.0%
Students submitting ACT score		86.0%
Total number of applicants	6,553	5,774
Total number of admissions given out	4,670	5,048
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,496	2,019
Yield rate	32.0%	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: $26,076 Out of state: $31,572	In state: $24,304 Out of state: $27,814
Average net price	$17,686	$17,859
Tuition	In state: $12,098 Out of state: $17,594	In state: $7,773 Out of state: $11,283
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,212 Meal plan: $5,700	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)	100.0% Average amount $8,291	81.0% Average amount $4,747
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $4,882	60.0% Average amount $5,063
Students taking out private loans	13.0% Average amount $12,023	17.0% Average amount $9,956

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	6,611 Men 41.4% Women 58.6%	9,847 Men 45.2% Women 54.8%
Graduate students	603 Men 31.8% Women 68.2%	1,618 Men 37.3% Women 62.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	27.5%	N/A
International students	1.2%	5.1%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	2,956	4,488
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Michigan Wisconsin Illinois Minnesota California	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Visual & Performing Arts Liberal Arts	Health Professions Engineering Family and Consumer Sciences Education Agriculture
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.4%	59.5%
Dropout rate	48.5%	38.9%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,628 Year 2: $72,796 Year 3: $79,136 Electrical and Power Transmission Installers (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $46,384 Year 2: $47,846 Year 3: $59,593 Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $58,726 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,371 Year 2: $56,776 Year 3: $57,709 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $47,668 Year 2: $53,358 Year 3: $55,574 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,975 Year 2: $46,087 Year 3: $51,392 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,045 Year 2: $34,793 Year 3: $47,951 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,424 Year 2: $44,635 Year 3: $46,290 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,823 Year 2: $38,649 Year 3: $45,786 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,293 Year 2: $38,529 Year 3: $44,324	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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