South Dakota University vs University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF)

Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, the University of South Dakota (USD) stands as a beacon of academic excellence, while the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) thrives as a hub of knowledge in the Last Frontier. Both institutions offer a wealth of opportunities for students to pursue their academic aspirations, yet they possess distinct characteristics that set them apart. USD boasts a higher acceptance rate, providing a more accessible gateway to higher education. UAF, on the other hand, offers a unique blend of programs, including aviation, engineering, and natural resources, catering to students with a passion for these fields. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the details of these two esteemed universities, contrasting their acceptance rates, popular majors, student demographics, and graduation rates, and discover which institution aligns best with your academic goals and aspirations.

	University of Alaska Fairbanks	University of South Dakota
Overview
Location	Fairbanks, Alaska	Vermillion, South Dakota
Campus setting	Suburb: 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	68.0%	77.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	64.7%	87.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $75	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35
SAT range	1110 - 1360	1050 - 1290
ACT range	17 - 27	19 - 25
Students submitting SAT score	12.0%	3.0%
Students submitting ACT score	16.0%	80.0%
Total number of applicants	1,402	4,272
Total number of admissions given out	907	3,717
Admitted students who chose to enroll	678	1,233
Yield rate	74.8%	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: $25,548 Out of state: $39,684	In state: $25,657 Out of state: $29,167
Average net price	$9,379	$18,974
Tuition	In state: $5,616 Out of state: $19,200	In state: $7,773 Out of state: $11,283
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,150 Meal plan: $5,390	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)	90.0% Average amount $8,808	84.0% Average amount $5,196
Students receiving federal student loan	21.0% Average amount $5,312	60.0% Average amount $5,102
Students taking out private loans	2.0% Average amount $13,596	14.0% Average amount $9,890

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	5,844 Men 38.4% Women 61.6%	6,987 Men 35.9% Women 64.1%
Graduate students	982 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%	2,477 Men 37.2% Women 62.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	17.1%	39.4%
International students	2.4%	2.7%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,554	2,154
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alaska Washington California Oregon Florida	South Dakota Iowa Nebraska Minnesota Wisconsin

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting Health Professions Engineering	Health Professions Education Business Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	14:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	38.4%	60.1%
Dropout rate	39.6%	14.2%
Transferred out	18.1%	24.5%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Petroleum Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $75,889 Year 3: $89,097 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,843 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $79,303 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,735 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $73,558 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $62,935 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,188 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $53,812 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,355 Year 2: $30,771 Year 3: $44,672 Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $33,666 Year 2: $44,942 Year 3: $43,923 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $32,119 Year 3: $34,458 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,635 Year 2: $31,314 Year 3: $32,564 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $27,241 Year 2: $26,739 Year 3: $32,435	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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