Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) vs NSU-Aberdeen

Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) and Northern State University (NSU) are two public universities located in the Midwest, offering a wide range of academic programs and opportunities for students. While both universities share some similarities, there are also several key differences between them. SMSU has a higher acceptance rate (88%) compared to NSU (79%), making it a more accessible option for students. In terms of popular majors, SMSU excels in business, education, and health professions, while NSU is known for its strong programs in education, nursing, and social work. The student body demographics also vary, with SMSU having a slightly larger undergraduate population and a more diverse student body compared to NSU. When it comes to graduation rates, SMSU boasts a slightly higher four-year graduation rate (38%) compared to NSU (35%). To help you make an informed decision about which university is the right fit for you, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves

	Northern State University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Overview
Location	Aberdeen, South Dakota	Marshall, Minnesota
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	68.0%	63.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	79.8%	91.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1020 - 1190	N/A
ACT range	18 - 24	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	5.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%
Total number of applicants	1,229	1,672
Total number of admissions given out	981	1,522
Admitted students who chose to enroll	337	421
Yield rate	34.4%	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	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	$22,718
Average net price	$16,821	$14,061
Tuition	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718	$8,230
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,800 Meal plan: $4,350	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)	89.0% Average amount $5,662	97.0% Average amount $7,101
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $4,850	67.0% Average amount $5,124
Students taking out private loans	10.0% Average amount $9,043	17.0% Average amount $8,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,867 Men 40.6% Women 59.4%	6,556 Men 38.6% Women 61.4%
Graduate students	473 Men 26.6% Women 73.4%	430 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	38.9%	N/A
International students	2.1%	2.5%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	853	1,034
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	N/A

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

Outcome
Graduation rate	47.6%	47.8%
Dropout rate	25.4%	20.7%
Transferred out	22.9%	29.7%
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	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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Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU) vs NSU-Aberdeen

Northern State University

Southwest Minnesota State University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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