B
Overall Niche Grade
How are grades calculated?
  1. Academics
    B-
  2. Value
    B
  3. Diversity
    B+
  4. Campus
    B+
  5. Athletics
    B+
  6. Party Scene
    B
  7. Professors
    B
  8. Location
    B
  9. Dorms
    B
  10. Campus Food
    C+
  11. Student Life
    B
  12. Safety
    A+
View Full Report Card
Northern State University is ...
Public
Athletic Division
NCAA Division II (with football)
Athletic Conference
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Address
1200 S Jay St
Aberdeen, SD 57401
Website
northern.edu

Northern 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
83%
SAT Range
790-1120
ACT Range
19-25
Application Fee
$20
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Will You Get In?

Test Scores and GPA for Northern State University

Cost

Net Price
$14,385/ year
National
$15,431
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $11,757/ year
  • $30-48k
    $11,777/ year
  • $49-75k
    $15,073/ year
  • $76-110k
    $16,516/ year
  • $110k+
    $15,504/ year

Academics

Professors
B
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
18:1
Evening Degree Programs
Yes
90%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.10 responses
91%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.11 responses
82%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.11 responses

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Business Administration and Management
    49 Graduates
  • Elementary Education
    41 Graduates
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities
    28 Graduates
  • Biology
    21 Graduates
  • Psychology
    18 Graduates
  • Accounting
    16 Graduates
  • Marketing
    15 Graduates
  • History
    14 Graduates
  • Music Teacher Education
    14 Graduates
  • Banking and Finance
    13 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
1,477Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
8%
Pell Grant
35%
Varsity Athletes
23%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 10 responses
Report
  • Small Town
    80%
  • Different
    10%
  • Out of this world
    10%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
—
Poll
88%
of students say they don't have Greek life.17 responses
Poll
71%
of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.24 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 8 responses
Report
  • Friendly
    75%
  • Easy Going
    25%

After Northern State University

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$33,200/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
44%
National
47%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
93%
National
83%
88%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.8 responses
Colleges like Northern State University
More

Northern State University Reviews

256 reviews
All Categories
Northern State University is above and beyond what I expected. The professors take the time to get to know your interests and goals and give advice on how to achieve your goals. The campus is safe and very nice. Northern State University has that "personal touch." The food is very good and there are plenty of activities to take part in. Being a member of the track and field team has been a positive experience, as well. I like seeing that Northern State University welcomes all races/nationalities. I would recommend Northern State University to anyone who wants to attend a quality institution!
Review Northern State University
I attended Northern State University for my Undergraduate Degree. I studied business, was a double major in Finance and Economics, minored in Accounting, and graduated with Honors. As with any college, there are good professors and not-so-good professors. The key to my success at NSU was networking, creating connections with advisors, department heads, students ahead of me, and professors. By understanding the system and your choices to customize - it was a lot easier to get set up with internship credits and independent studies. A few of my favorite contacts are no longer with the university or retired, but I have had a very good impression from Professor Barclay - who teaches marketing, I believe.
Fan support is not always the best, but when the students get together for homecoming the school pride really shines. Everyone on campus is very friendly and when future students visit campus everyone takes time out of their day to show them around. Our athletic facility (the Barnett Center) was recently updated and is made to accommodate everyone's needs.