C of I vs Dakota State

The College of Idaho and Dakota State University, while both offering quality education, present distinct characteristics that cater to different student preferences. The College of Idaho, a private liberal arts college, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 68%, while Dakota State University, a public university, offers a more open admissions policy with an acceptance rate of 98%. In terms of student body demographics, The College of Idaho's student population is predominantly White (87%) and female (58%), while Dakota State University's student body is more diverse, with a larger proportion of male students (56%) and a higher percentage of students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native (10%). Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, graduation rates, and other key factors, to help you make an informed decision about your higher education journey.

	Dakota State University	The College of Idaho
Overview
Location	Madison, South Dakota	Caldwell, Idaho
Campus setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	72.0%	79.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	85.6%	56.3%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1000 - 1245	1080 - 1246
ACT range	19 - 26	21 - 30
Students submitting SAT score	11.0%	53.0%
Students submitting ACT score	80.0%	18.0%
Total number of applicants	681	3,464
Total number of admissions given out	583	1,950
Admitted students who chose to enroll	366	296
Yield rate	62.8%	15.2%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $24,073 Out of state: $27,175	$44,655
Average net price	$17,572	$23,329
Tuition	In state: $7,616 Out of state: $10,718	$33,000
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,116 Meal plan: $3,308	Room/dormitory: $5,050 Meal plan: $6,108
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	79.0% Average amount $4,645	100.0% Average amount $22,268
Students receiving federal student loan	58.0% Average amount $4,987	57.0% Average amount $5,251
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $9,288	11.0% Average amount $11,813

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,751 Men 60.9% Women 39.1%	1,119 Men 49.2% Women 50.8%
Graduate students	468 Men 74.8% Women 25.2%	26 Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	33.7%
International students	4.5%	18.2%
Campus local/setting	Town: Distant	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	925	758
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Idaho California Washington Oregon Nevada

Academics
Popular study areas	Computer and Information Science Education Business Liberal Arts Health Professions	Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	46.8%	56.1%
Dropout rate	49.8%	13.1%
Transferred out	N/A	30.8%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,983 Year 2: $51,035 Year 3: $66,125 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,841 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $46,318 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,973 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $44,718 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $41,205 Year 3: $44,370 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $43,878 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,153 Year 3: $38,114 Computer Software and Media Applications (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,986 Year 2: $28,598 Year 3: $31,143 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $91,122 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,967 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: N/A Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $69,795 Year 2: $76,460 Year 3: N/A	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,789 Year 2: $31,890 Year 3: $44,099 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,578 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $32,411 Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,354 Year 2: $22,192 Year 3: N/A Social Sciences, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: N/A Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $27,241 Year 2: $23,649 Year 3: N/A History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: N/A

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