Southern Oregon University (SOU) vs Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU)

Southern Oregon University (SOU) and Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) are two distinct institutions of higher learning, each offering unique opportunities and experiences to their students. SOU, located in Ashland, Oregon, boasts a picturesque campus nestled amidst the Siskiyou Mountains, while SMSU is situated in Marshall, Minnesota, known for its vibrant community and rich agricultural heritage. With acceptance rates of 88% and 95%, respectively, both universities welcome a diverse student body, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all. While SOU excels in fields like Environmental Science and Theatre, SMSU shines in areas such as Business and Education. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these universities, including graduation rates, student demographics, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Southern Oregon University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Overview
Location	Ashland, Oregon	Marshall, Minnesota
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Quarter	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	69.0%	63.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	89.7%	91.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $30
SAT range	980 - 1230	N/A
ACT range	18 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	32.0%
Students submitting ACT score	21.0%
Total number of applicants	1,913	1,672
Total number of admissions given out	1,716	1,522
Admitted students who chose to enroll	519	421
Yield rate	30.2%	27.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,142 Out of state: $42,962	$22,718
Average net price	$12,134	$14,061
Tuition	In state: $9,045 Out of state: $26,865	$8,230
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,235 Meal plan: $5,925	Room/dormitory: $5,426 Meal plan: $3,790
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	75.0% Average amount $5,932	97.0% Average amount $7,101
Students receiving federal student loan	42.0% Average amount $4,778	67.0% Average amount $5,124
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	17.0% Average amount $8,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,396 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	6,556 Men 38.6% Women 61.4%
Graduate students	783 Men 30.3% Women 69.7%	430 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	1.1%	2.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,000	1,034
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Visual & Performing Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Multidisciplinary Studies	Education Business Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Agriculture
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	41.0%	47.8%
Dropout rate	55.3%	20.7%
Transferred out	N/A	29.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,797 Year 2: $47,729 Year 3: $50,405 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,167 Year 2: $47,650 Year 3: $50,120 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,975 Year 2: $40,017 Year 3: $47,745 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,536 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $47,221 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,746 Year 2: $33,192 Year 3: $42,371 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,398 Year 2: $29,322 Year 3: $40,135 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,901 Year 2: $31,042 Year 3: $34,974 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,131 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $33,557 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,663 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $32,403 Visual and Performing Arts, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,082 Year 2: $21,312 Year 3: $26,467	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,193 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $63,067 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,872 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $57,477 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,470 Year 2: $51,482 Year 3: $52,674 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,562 Year 2: $49,729 Year 3: $50,544 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,831 Year 2: $47,729 Year 3: $48,120 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,735 Year 2: $39,729 Year 3: $46,976 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,644 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $46,844 Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $46,566 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,969 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: $42,447 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,729 Year 3: $42,232

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Southern Oregon University (SOU) vs Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU)

Southern Oregon University

Southwest Minnesota State University

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Admission

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Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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