NSU-Aberdeen vs The Evergreen State

Northern State University and The Evergreen State College stand as distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique educational experiences. Northern State University, a public university in Aberdeen, South Dakota, boasts a traditional campus setting and a strong focus on undergraduate education. In contrast, The Evergreen State College, a public liberal arts college in Olympia, Washington, emphasizes interdisciplinary studies and experiential learning, with a focus on environmental and social justice issues. While both institutions offer a diverse range of academic programs, Northern State University excels in fields such as business, education, and nursing, while The Evergreen State College is renowned for its programs in environmental studies, social sciences, and the arts. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two institutions, including acceptance rates, student body demographics, graduation rates, and more, to determine which aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Northern State University	The Evergreen State College
Overview
Location	Aberdeen, South Dakota	Olympia, Washington
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	67.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	79.8%	99.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1020 - 1190	1000 - 1200
ACT range	18 - 24	19 - 27
Students submitting SAT score	5.0%	13.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	7.0%
Total number of applicants	1,229	1,111
Total number of admissions given out	981	1,105
Admitted students who chose to enroll	337	234
Yield rate	34.4%	21.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,495 Out of state: $26,597	In state: $26,103 Out of state: $46,746
Average net price	$16,821	$16,155
Tuition	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718	In state: $7,389 Out of state: $28,032
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,800 Meal plan: $4,350	Room/dormitory: $8,547 Meal plan: $4,602
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	89.0% Average amount $5,662	84.0% Average amount $9,659
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $4,850	42.0% Average amount $4,970
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $9,043	0.0% Average amount $21,382

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%	1,849 Men 38.9% Women 61.1%
Graduate students	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%	267 Men 32.6% Women 67.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	38.9%	30.8%
International students	2.1%	0.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	853	991
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Dakota Minnesota North Dakota Iowa Wisconsin	Washington California Oregon Colorado Idaho

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Business Liberal Arts	Liberal Arts Multidisciplinary Studies Public Administration and Social Service Natural Resources and Conservation Education
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	47.6%	43.2%
Dropout rate	25.4%	54.5%
Transferred out	22.9%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $55,770 Year 3: $61,207 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $59,678 Year 2: $53,984 Year 3: $58,733 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $46,321 Biological and Physical Sciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,468 Year 2: $24,730 Year 3: $30,891 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,118 Year 2: $23,558 Year 3: $26,439

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