University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) vs Northwestern State

When it comes to higher education, University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) and Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) stand out as two compelling options for prospective students. While both universities offer a rich academic experience, they differ in several key aspects. USAO boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible choice for students. NSU, on the other hand, has a larger student body, providing a more diverse and vibrant campus community. In terms of academics, USAO excels in fields like visual and performing arts, while NSU is renowned for its programs in business, education, and nursing. Explore the detailed comparison table below to delve into further distinctions between these two institutions, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Northwestern State University of Louisiana	University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Overview
Location	Natchitoches, Louisiana	Chickasha, Oklahoma
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Trimester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate
Students retention rate	64.0%	54.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	96.3%	63.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $25	$40
SAT range	920 - 1120	N/A
ACT range	16 - 22	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	3.0%
Students submitting ACT score	88.0%
Total number of applicants	3,738	1,078
Total number of admissions given out	3,599	684
Admitted students who chose to enroll	1,299	247
Yield rate	36.1%	36.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	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: $25,094 Out of state: $35,882	In state: $20,580 Out of state: $31,440
Average net price	$13,500	$9,573
Tuition	In state: $5,180 Out of state: $15,968	In state: $6,390 Out of state: $17,250
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,964 Meal plan: $4,100	Room/dormitory: $3,170 Meal plan: $3,400
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	93.0% Average amount $9,347	93.0% Average amount $10,998
Students receiving federal student loan	65.0% Average amount $4,878	42.0% Average amount $5,221
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $10,829	4.0% Average amount $9,182

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,622 Men 29.0% Women 71.0%	849 Men 35.8% Women 64.2%
Graduate students	1,113 Men 19.1% Women 80.9%	N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	1.3%	N/A
International students	1.5%	9.3%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,492	536
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Louisiana Texas California Colorado Mississippi	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts	Visual & Performing Arts Business Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences Psychology
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	44.1%	38.7%
Dropout rate	52.7%	34.3%
Transferred out	N/A	26.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $90,397 Year 2: $91,152 Year 3: $97,402 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,057 Year 2: $59,350 Year 3: $74,454 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,885 Year 2: $63,326 Year 3: $66,285 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,023 Year 2: $45,696 Year 3: $60,510 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $63,860 Year 2: $60,226 Year 3: $58,469 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,493 Year 2: $43,957 Year 3: $53,304 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $32,570 Year 2: $44,170 Year 3: $51,224 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,699 Year 2: $48,432 Year 3: $49,876 English Language and Literature, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $35,535 Year 2: $45,277 Year 3: $45,495 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,907 Year 2: $43,277 Year 3: $44,409	Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,104 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $22,657 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,777 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,642 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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