University of Kansas (KU) vs South Dakota University

Envision yourself as a student, embarking on a journey of higher education. As you navigate the vast landscape of universities, two prominent institutions emerge: the University of Kansas (KU) and the University of South Dakota (USD). While both offer exceptional academic opportunities, they possess distinct characteristics that may influence your decision. KU, nestled in the vibrant city of Lawrence, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a diverse student body from various backgrounds. USD, located in the charming city of Vermillion, offers a more intimate learning environment with smaller class sizes. Explore the comparison table below to delve into further details, including popular majors, graduation rates, and additional factors that will help you determine which university aligns best with your aspirations and goals.
University of Kansas logo

University of Kansas

University of South Dakota logo

University of South Dakota

Overview

Location Lawrence, Kansas Vermillion, South Dakota
Campus setting City: Small Town: Distant
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 85.0% 77.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 92.5% 87.0%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $40

Graduate: $65
Undergraduate: $20

Graduate: $35
SAT range 1090 - 1330 1050 - 1290
ACT range 21 - 29 19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score 12.0% 3.0%
Students submitting ACT score 80.0% 80.0%
Total number of applicants 15,275 4,272
Total number of admissions given out 14,129 3,717
Admitted students who chose to enroll 4,119 1,233
Yield rate 29.2% 33.2%
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 Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $25,259

Out of state: $42,127
In state: $25,657

Out of state: $29,167
Average net price $18,608 $18,974
Tuition
In state: $10,092

Out of state: $26,960
In state: $7,773

Out of state: $11,283
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,100

Meal plan: $3,800
Room/dormitory: $4,366

Meal plan: $4,234
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

80.0%
Average amount $10,408
84.0%
Average amount $5,196
Students receiving federal student loan 40.0%
Average amount $5,220
60.0%
Average amount $5,102
Students taking out private loans 6.0%
Average amount $13,036
14.0%
Average amount $9,890

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 19,158
Men 46.8% Women 53.2%
6,987
Men 35.9% Women 64.1%
Graduate students 7,622
Men 42.7% Women 57.3%
2,477
Men 37.2% Women 62.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 41.5% 39.4%
International students 6.8% 2.7%
Campus local/setting City: Small Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity 5,235 2,154
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Kansas Missouri Illinois Texas Colorado South Dakota Iowa Nebraska Minnesota Wisconsin

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Health Professions
  • Education
  • Business
  • Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
  • Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio 17:1 14:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 66.0% 60.1%
Dropout rate 7.8% 14.2%
Transferred out 24.6% 24.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
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
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $110,722
  • Year 2: $100,951
  • Year 3: $109,099
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,473
  • Year 2: $97,071
  • Year 3: $100,634
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $78,587
  • Year 2: $68,778
  • Year 3: $81,751
Public Administration (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $70,456
  • Year 3: $69,478
Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,040
  • Year 2: $62,012
  • Year 3: $68,456
Medicine (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,011
  • Year 2: $57,860
  • Year 3: $68,011
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $62,632
  • Year 3: $64,788
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $65,801
  • Year 2: $65,170
  • Year 3: $64,105
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $52,161
  • Year 2: $62,260
  • Year 3: $63,921
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,986
  • Year 2: $52,941
  • Year 3: $61,718

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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.
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