NSU-Aberdeen vs CSU-FC

Northern State University and Colorado State University-Fort Collins stand as distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. Northern State, nestled in the heart of South Dakota, boasts a close-knit community with a strong focus on undergraduate education, while Colorado State, situated in the vibrant city of Fort Collins, Colorado, is a comprehensive research university with a diverse academic landscape. As you embark on your journey to find the ideal university, this comprehensive comparison will guide you through the key differences between these two esteemed institutions, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Dive into the comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences, setting the stage for a fulfilling and transformative educational experience.

	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	Northern State University
Overview
Location	Fort Collins, Colorado	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	86.0%	68.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	89.6%	79.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1080 - 1290	1020 - 1190
ACT range	23 - 29	18 - 24
Students submitting SAT score	38.0%	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	17.0%	80.0%
Total number of applicants	31,586	1,229
Total number of admissions given out	28,314	981
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,197	337
Yield rate	18.4%	34.4%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $27,174 Out of state: $46,456	In state: $23,495 Out of state: $26,597
Average net price	$18,320	$16,821
Tuition	In state: $9,709 Out of state: $28,991	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,186 Meal plan: $6,830	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)	70.0% Average amount $10,034	89.0% Average amount $5,662
Students receiving federal student loan	36.0% Average amount $5,018	65.0% Average amount $4,850
Students taking out private loans	7.0% Average amount $19,976	10.0% Average amount $9,043

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	24,954 Men 45.6% Women 54.4%	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%
Graduate students	7,632 Men 43.7% Women 56.3%	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	34.3%	38.9%
International students	4.8%	2.1%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	8,300	853
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Colorado California Texas Illinois Washington	South Dakota Minnesota North Dakota Iowa Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences Agriculture Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	69.1%	47.6%
Dropout rate	18.5%	25.4%
Transferred out	10.4%	22.9%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $94,915 Year 3: $106,015 Engineering, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,613 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: $95,296 Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $74,379 Year 2: $75,706 Year 3: $93,827 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $98,747 Year 2: $80,301 Year 3: $92,215 Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $73,256 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $89,957 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,253 Year 2: $73,070 Year 3: $88,889 Veterinary Medicine (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $77,603 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $88,546 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $76,387 Year 2: $83,546 Year 3: $86,814 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,629 Year 2: $71,778 Year 3: $83,089 Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,849 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $80,723	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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