South Dakota State University (SDSU) vs University of North Dakota (UND)

South Dakota State University (SDSU) and University of North Dakota (UND) are two public universities located in the northern plains of the United States. Both institutions offer a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs, but there are some key differences between the two schools. SDSU has a slightly higher acceptance rate than UND, and its student body is more diverse. UND has a higher graduation rate than SDSU, and its students tend to have higher average ACT scores. To help you make an informed decision about which school is the best fit for you, we've compiled a detailed comparison table that highlights the key differences between SDSU and UND. Explore the table to find out more about the acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates of these two universities.
South Dakota State University logo

South Dakota State University

University of North Dakota logo

University of North Dakota

Overview

Location Brookings, South Dakota Grand Forks, North Dakota
Campus setting Town: Remote City: Small
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 80.0% 77.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 87.4% 89.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $20

Graduate: $35
Undergraduate: $35

Graduate: $35
SAT range 980 - 1220 1110 - 1290
ACT range 19 - 25 20 - 26
Students submitting SAT score 3.0% 6.0%
Students submitting ACT score 86.0% 59.0%
Total number of applicants 5,774 5,962
Total number of admissions given out 5,048 5,308
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,019 1,755
Yield rate 40.0% 33.1%
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: $24,304

Out of state: $27,814
In state: $24,764

Out of state: $29,205
Average net price $17,859 $17,425
Tuition
In state: $7,773

Out of state: $11,283
In state: $8,882

Out of state: $13,323
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,054

Meal plan: $4,082
Room/dormitory: $4,770

Meal plan: $5,152
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

81.0%
Average amount $4,747
83.0%
Average amount $5,576
Students receiving federal student loan 60.0%
Average amount $5,063
55.0%
Average amount $5,142
Students taking out private loans 17.0%
Average amount $9,956
24.0%
Average amount $15,124

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 9,847
Men 45.2% Women 54.8%
9,718
Men 56.6% Women 43.4%
Graduate students 1,618
Men 37.3% Women 62.7%
4,054
Men 36.4% Women 63.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 60.5%
International students 5.1% 6.8%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote City: Small
Dormitory capacity 4,488 4,588
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A North Dakota Minnesota California Wisconsin Illinois

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Education
  • Agriculture
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Public Administration and Social Service
Students to faculty ratio 17:1 17:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 59.5% 61.8%
Dropout rate 38.9% 9.4%
Transferred out N/A 26.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $102,600
  • Year 2: $107,376
  • Year 3: $116,029
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,048
  • Year 2: $101,645
  • Year 3: $112,295
Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $84,111
  • Year 2: $72,762
  • Year 3: $94,157
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $77,951
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $80,971
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $62,457
  • Year 2: $66,325
  • Year 3: $79,432
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,521
  • Year 2: $76,460
  • Year 3: $78,447
Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,317
  • Year 2: $63,005
  • Year 3: $75,504
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,166
  • Year 2: $64,608
  • Year 3: $73,223
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,089
  • Year 2: $67,660
  • Year 3: $70,144
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,206
  • Year 2: $55,547
  • Year 3: $69,655

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