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Northern State University

#4 in Top Public Universities in South Dakota
  • B
    Overall Grade
  • 4 Year
  • Aberdeen, SD
  • 270 reviews
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
    B-
  11. Student Life
    B
  12. Safety
    A-
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Northern State is an above-average public university located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 1,346 undergraduate students. The Northern State acceptance rate is 88%. Popular majors include Business, Elementary Education, and Liberal Arts and Humanities. Graduating 45% of students, Northern State alumni go on to earn a starting salary of $31,500.
About Northern State University...
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
88%
Application Deadline
Rolling Admissions
SAT Range
950-1140
ACT Range
19-24
Application Fee
$20
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Early Decision/Early Action
—

Test Prep

SAT and ACT Prep Options
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Cost

Net Price
$14,489/ year
National
$15,523
Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Net Price by Household Income
  • <$30k
    $11,176/ year
  • $30-48k
    $11,909/ year
  • $49-75k
    $16,182/ year
  • $76-110k
    $17,482/ year
  • $110k+
    $17,800/ year
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Academics

Professors
B
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
19:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
90%
of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.10 responses
92%
of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.13 responses
85%
of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.13 responses

Majors

Most Popular Majors
  • Business
    56 Graduates
  • Elementary Education
    35 Graduates
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities
    29 Graduates
  • Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
    22 Graduates
  • Biology
    21 Graduates
  • Psychology
    21 Graduates
  • Accounting
    20 Graduates
  • Sociology
    17 Graduates
  • Music Teacher Education
    16 Graduates
  • Arts
    14 Graduates

Students

Full-Time Enrollment
1,346Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
9%
Pell Grant
36%
Varsity Athletes
25%
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes the typical student at this school?
Based on 12 responses
Report
  • Small Town
    83%
  • Different
    8%
  • Out of this world
    8%

Campus Life

Freshmen Live On-Campus
—
Poll
89%
of students say they don't have Greek life.19 responses
Poll
69%
of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.26 responses
Poll
What one word or phrase best describes your school?
Based on 10 responses
Report
  • Friendly
    70%
  • Easy Going
    20%
  • Underrated
    10%

After College

Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$34,100/ year
National
$33,028
Graduation Rate
45%
National
49%
Employed 2 Years After Graduation
94%
National
83%
88%
of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.8 responses
Colleges like Northern State University
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Northern State University Reviews

270 reviews
All Categories
I went to Northern as a music major and absolutely loved it! The faculty in the music department is absolutely phenomenal. Not only that, but the entire campus is very supportive of the arts, which is hard to find at a school in the Midwest where sports tend to dominate. When they say you’re not just a number, they mean it. Even the general education professors know their students by name, even if they’ve only had them in one or two classes. Highly recommend to anyone that’s looking for a great education at a very affordable, smaller university.
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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!
Northern State University can be a great school, but it has MAJOR flaws. Professors are terrible about communicating with their students, when students email them. Most of them have terrible timing and wait until the very end of the semester to place grades. If a student is gone numerous times, they don't reach out. They make it seem like they don't care about their students. Yes, Northern has some great professors, but they have more professors who are terrible. Everyone at Northern who you'd expect to be able to help you, push you to someone else who "should be able to direct you correctly" don't.