University of Kansas (KU) vs South Dakota State University (SDSU)

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Lawrence, Kansas, or Brookings, South Dakota, home to the esteemed University of Kansas (KU) and South Dakota State University (SDSU), respectively. While both institutions offer a wealth of opportunities, they possess distinct characteristics that may influence your academic journey. KU boasts a lower acceptance rate, indicating a more selective admissions process, while SDSU welcomes a broader range of applicants. Explore the diverse academic landscapes of these universities, where KU excels in fields like journalism and public affairs, and SDSU shines in areas such as agriculture and engineering. Discover the unique student demographics, graduation rates, and additional details that set these institutions apart. Dive into our comprehensive comparison table to uncover the nuances that will guide your decision toward the university that best aligns with your aspirations and goals.

	South Dakota State University	University of Kansas
Overview
Location	Brookings, South Dakota	Lawrence, Kansas
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%	85.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	87.4%	92.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $65
SAT range	980 - 1220	1090 - 1330
ACT range	19 - 25	21 - 29
Students submitting SAT score	3.0%	12.0%
Students submitting ACT score	86.0%	80.0%
Total number of applicants	5,774	15,275
Total number of admissions given out	5,048	14,129
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,019	4,119
Yield rate	40.0%	29.2%
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: $25,259 Out of state: $42,127
Average net price	$17,859	$18,608
Tuition	In state: $7,773 Out of state: $11,283	In state: $10,092 Out of state: $26,960
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,054 Meal plan: $4,082	Room/dormitory: $6,100 Meal plan: $3,800
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	81.0% Average amount $4,747	80.0% Average amount $10,408
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,063	40.0% Average amount $5,220
Students taking out private loans	17.0% Average amount $9,956	6.0% Average amount $13,036

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,847 Men 45.2% Women 54.8%	19,158 Men 46.8% Women 53.2%
Graduate students	1,618 Men 37.3% Women 62.7%	7,622 Men 42.7% Women 57.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	41.5%
International students	5.1%	6.8%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	4,488	5,235
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Kansas Missouri Illinois Texas Colorado

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Engineering Family and Consumer Sciences Education Agriculture	Health Professions Business Education Engineering Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	17:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	59.5%	66.0%
Dropout rate	38.9%	7.8%
Transferred out	N/A	24.6%
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 (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $160,586 Year 2: $170,720 Year 3: $156,139 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $112,189 Year 2: $119,061 Year 3: $123,797 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,966 Year 2: $73,299 Year 3: $88,195 Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,179 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $81,042 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $78,614 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $67,617 Year 2: $72,625 Year 3: $77,366 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,974 Year 2: $66,001 Year 3: $73,900 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,436 Year 2: $59,722 Year 3: $72,306 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,919 Year 2: $64,990 Year 3: $68,960 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $56,347 Year 2: $53,108 Year 3: $68,650

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University of Kansas (KU) vs South Dakota State University (SDSU)

South Dakota State University

University of Kansas

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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