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Dakota State University

#6 in Best Value Colleges in South Dakota
  • 4 Year
  • Madison, SD
  • 260 reviews
    How to Apply
    B-
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Academics
      B
    2. Value
      B
    3. Diversity
      B
    4. Campus
      C+
    5. Athletics
      C+
    6. Party Scene
      C+
    7. Professors
      B
    8. Location
      B-
    9. Dorms
      B
    10. Campus Food
      C
    11. Student Life
      C+
    12. Safety
      A-
    View Full Report Card
    Dakota State is a public university located in Madison, South Dakota. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 1,397 undergraduate students. The Dakota State acceptance rate is 84%. Popular majors include Information Science, Network, Database, and System Administration, and Business. Graduating 36% of students, Dakota State alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $33,300.
    About Dakota State University...
    Athletic Division
    NAIA Division II
    Athletic Conference
    North Star Athletic Association
    Address
    820 N Washington Ave
    Madison, SD 57042
    Website
    dsu.edu

    Dakota State University Rankings

    Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.

    Admissions

    Acceptance Rate
    84%
    Application Deadline
    Rolling Admissions
    SAT Range
    950-1240
    ACT Range
    19-26
    Application Fee
    $20
    SAT/ACT
    Required
    High School GPA
    Required
    Early Decision/Early Action
    No

    Cost

    Net Price
    $16,513/ year
    National
    $15,523
    Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
    Average Total Aid Awarded
    $3,812/ year
    National
    $7,535
    Students Receiving Financial Aid
    96%

    Academics

    Professors
    B
    Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
    Student Faculty Ratio
    17:1
    Evening Degree Programs
    No
    76%
    of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.17 responses
    82%
    of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.22 responses
    82%
    of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.22 responses

    Majors

    Most Popular Majors
    • Information Science
      61 Graduates
    • Network, Database, and System Administration
      43 Graduates
    • Business
      32 Graduates
    • Computer and Information Systems Security
      28 Graduates
    • Special Education and Teaching
      25 Graduates
    • Kinesiology and Exercise Science
      24 Graduates
    • Computer Graphics
      22 Graduates
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities
      19 Graduates
    • Respiratory Care Therapy
      19 Graduates
    • Marketing
      16 Graduates

    Students

    Full-Time Enrollment
    1,397Undergrads
    Part-Time Undergrads
    1,565
    Undergrads Over 25
    13%
    Pell Grant
    40%
    Varsity Athletes
    19%
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
    Based on 20 responses
    Report
    • Nerd
      55%
    • Unique
      25%
    • Eclectic
      10%
    • Diverse
      5%
    • Nerdy
      5%

    Campus Life

    Freshmen Live On-Campus
    —
    Poll
    64%
    of students say they don't have Greek life.28 responses
    Poll
    67%
    of students say varsity sporting events are attended, but not a huge part of campus life.33 responses
    Poll
    What one word or phrase best describes your school?
    Based on 20 responses
    Report
    • Technology
      90%
    • Innovation
      5%
    • Underrated
      5%

    After College

    Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
    $38,700/ year
    National
    $33,028
    Graduation Rate
    36%
    National
    49%
    Employed 2 Years After Graduation
    95%
    National
    83%
    100%
    of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.13 responses
    Colleges like Dakota State University
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    Dakota State University Reviews

    260 reviews
    All Categories
    We would love to see more video of the campus online. Another suggestion, maybe to allow the course catalog with times and dates to be reviewed online. modernizing the website would be helpful to find the right links and steps toward application, registration, financial aide, housing, other opportunities available at the college etc. I think I would have been able to apply for more scholarships if I would have known that most of their in house funding opportunities ended in March. Luckily the coaches through the baseball team have been so helpful to acquaint me with next steps and useful information. The financial aide office and registrar have been very helpful when I have made calls to them. I am looking forward to my new adventures at Dakota State University.
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    I really like DSU a lot because of its environment. It is a small school yet at the same time the school is the number one computer college in the US. Being in a small school is great because you could easily get the help that you would need quickly. Not only that you can engage and learn easily because your classes are not crowded. Also for being an amazing school, it is pretty cheap to get in the university. DSU is a really safe college to go to since it is a smaller school. The professors and the people who work here are super friendly and helpful.
    I loved going to Dakota State University. The course work is challenging and meaningful and the instructors were very knowledgeable in the work that we did and needed to be done. The collaborative atmosphere is apparent throughout the classes and made it easy to work with other students even if it was online. This is one of the reasons I was drawn to go to Dakota State University. The course work helps me in my professional career and I am able to use my Health Information Administration degree everyday to help co-workers make decisions and direct my work. I would definitely recommend Dakota State University to anyone looking for a degree in Health Information.