C of I vs South Dakota State University (SDSU)

The College of Idaho and South Dakota State University, while both offering quality education, present distinct experiences for prospective students. The College of Idaho, a private liberal arts college, boasts a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of 68%, while South Dakota State University, a public research university, offers broader access with an acceptance rate of 88%. In terms of student body demographics, The College of Idaho's student population is predominantly White (87%) and female (58%), while South Dakota State University's student body is more diverse, with a larger proportion of male students (53%) and a more balanced racial makeup. Regarding academic offerings, The College of Idaho excels in liberal arts and sciences, with popular majors including Biology, Business Administration, and Psychology. South Dakota State University, on the other hand, offers a wider range of programs, including Agriculture, Engineering, and Nursing, among others. To further explore these differences and make an informed decision about which institution aligns
South Dakota State University logo

South Dakota State University

The College of Idaho logo

The College of Idaho

Overview

Location Brookings, South Dakota Caldwell, Idaho
Campus setting Town: Remote 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 80.0% 79.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 87.4% 56.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $20

Graduate: $35
SAT range 980 - 1220 1080 - 1246
ACT range 19 - 25 21 - 30
Students submitting SAT score 3.0% 53.0%
Students submitting ACT score 86.0% 18.0%
Total number of applicants 5,774 3,464
Total number of admissions given out 5,048 1,950
Admitted students who chose to enroll 2,019 296
Yield rate 40.0% 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: $24,304

Out of state: $27,814
$44,655
Average net price $17,859 $23,329
Tuition
In state: $7,773

Out of state: $11,283
$33,000
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,054

Meal plan: $4,082
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)

81.0%
Average amount $4,747
100.0%
Average amount $22,268
Students receiving federal student loan 60.0%
Average amount $5,063
57.0%
Average amount $5,251
Students taking out private loans 17.0%
Average amount $9,956
11.0%
Average amount $11,813

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 9,847
Men 45.2% Women 54.8%
1,119
Men 49.2% Women 50.8%
Graduate students 1,618
Men 37.3% Women 62.7%
26
Men 42.3% Women 57.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Low
Out-of-state students N/A 33.7%
International students 5.1% 18.2%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity 4,488 758
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
  • Health Professions
  • Engineering
  • Family and Consumer Sciences
  • Education
  • Agriculture
  • Health Professions
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Education
  • Business
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio 17:1 12:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome

Graduation rate 59.5% 56.1%
Dropout rate 38.9% 13.1%
Transferred out N/A 30.8%
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
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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
South Dakota State University SDSU vs California State University-Stanislaus California State University-Stanislaus
South Dakota State University SDSU vs California State University-Chico California State University-Chico
South Dakota State University SDSU vs California State University-East Bay California State University-East Bay
South Dakota State University SDSU vs California State University-Northridge California State University-Northridge
South Dakota State University SDSU vs Idaho State University Idaho State University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs University of Idaho University of Idaho
South Dakota State University SDSU vs Indiana State University Indiana State University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs Emporia State University Emporia State University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs University of Maine University of Maine
South Dakota State University SDSU vs University of Minnesota-Duluth University of Minnesota-Duluth
South Dakota State University SDSU vs Montana State University Montana State University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs The University of Montana The University of Montana
South Dakota State University SDSU vs North Carolina A & T State University North Carolina A & T State University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs University of Mary University of Mary
South Dakota State University SDSU vs University of North Dakota University of North Dakota
South Dakota State University SDSU vs Oregon State University Oregon State University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs Southern Oregon University Southern Oregon University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs Sam Houston State University Sam Houston State University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs Texas State University Texas State University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs University of Vermont University of Vermont
South Dakota State University SDSU vs Eastern Washington University Eastern Washington University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs Western Washington University Western Washington University
South Dakota State University SDSU vs California State University-San Marcos California State University-San Marcos
South Dakota State University SDSU vs California State University-Monterey Bay California State University-Monterey Bay
The College of Idaho C of I vs Alaska Pacific University Alaska Pacific University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Lyon College Lyon College
The College of Idaho C of I vs Idaho State University Idaho State University
The College of Idaho C of I vs University of Idaho University of Idaho
The College of Idaho C of I vs Lewis-Clark State College Lewis-Clark State College
The College of Idaho C of I vs Northwest Nazarene University Northwest Nazarene University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Brigham Young University-Idaho Brigham Young University-Idaho
The College of Idaho C of I vs Montana State University Billings Montana State University Billings
The College of Idaho C of I vs Montana State University-Northern Montana State University-Northern
The College of Idaho C of I vs Rocky Mountain College Rocky Mountain College
The College of Idaho C of I vs The University of Montana-Western The University of Montana-Western
The College of Idaho C of I vs Chadron State College Chadron State College
The College of Idaho C of I vs Peru State College Peru State College
The College of Idaho C of I vs Wayne State College Wayne State College
The College of Idaho C of I vs Dickinson State University Dickinson State University
The College of Idaho C of I vs University of Mary University of Mary
The College of Idaho C of I vs Mayville State University Mayville State University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Minot State University Minot State University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Valley City State University Valley City State University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Eastern Oregon University Eastern Oregon University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Southern Oregon University Southern Oregon University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Augustana University Augustana University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Black Hills State University Black Hills State University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Dakota State University Dakota State University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Mount Marty University Mount Marty University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Northern State University Northern State University
The College of Idaho C of I vs South Dakota School of Mines and Technology South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
The College of Idaho C of I vs South Dakota State University South Dakota State University
The College of Idaho C of I vs University of South Dakota University of South Dakota
The College of Idaho C of I vs Texas Lutheran University Texas Lutheran University
The College of Idaho C of I vs Westminster College Westminster College
The College of Idaho C of I vs Saint Martin's University Saint Martin's University