Quad

Head-to-head

Western Colorado
U. South Dakota

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. South Dakota has 3.4× as many undergrads as Western Colorado

    Undergrads
  2. 2

    U. South Dakota's yield is 8 pts higher than Western Colorado's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    Western Colorado's grants cover 26% of its full price on average, vs. 19% at U. South Dakota

    Aid generosity
  4. 4

    U. South Dakota graduates 7 pts more of its students than Western Colorado (55% vs. 48%)

    Graduation rate
  5. 5

    U. South Dakota has 7 pts more Pell recipients than Western Colorado (19% vs. 12%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  6. 6

    U. South Dakota grads earn $5.1K more ten years out than Western Colorado's ($51,926 vs. $46,833)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

U. South Dakota admits 99%, Western Colorado 100%; U. South Dakota's yield is higher, at 19%.

Acceptance rate
Western Colorado100%
U. South Dakota99%
Quad's selectivity
  • Western ColoradoOpen
  • U. South DakotaOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
Western Colorado
1163–1353
U. South Dakota
1125–1315
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Western ColoradoGPA, school record, rank, and prep program considered
  • U. South DakotaSchool record and prep program required38%

Who's on each campus

U. South Dakota has 3.4× as many undergrads as Western Colorado and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Western Colorado1.6K
U. South Dakota5.4K
Pell Grant share
Western Colorado12%
U. South Dakota19%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at Western Colorado, and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse at U. South Dakota.

Students per faculty member
Western Colorado17 to 1
U. South Dakota16 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Western ColoradoBusiness Administration and Management, General18%
  • U. South DakotaRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse9%

What each costs

U. South Dakota costs about $1.3K less a year than Western Colorado on average; Western Colorado's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Western Colorado$21.7K
U. South Dakota$20.4K
Aid generosity
Western Colorado26%
U. South Dakota19%

What each pays off

U. South Dakota's former students earn more, a median $51.9K ten years after enrolling; six-year graduation runs from 55% at U. South Dakota to 48% at Western Colorado.

Median earnings, 10 years
Western Colorado$46.8K
U. South Dakota$51.9K
Graduation rate
Western Colorado48%
U. South Dakota55%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; U. South Dakota got less selective while Western Colorado held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Western ColoradoGrowing+160%
  • U. South DakotaGrowing+68%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;University of South Dakota (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;University of South Dakota Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;University of South Dakota Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why