Quad

Head-to-head

Black Hills State
Lake Superior State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Lake Superior State's grants cover 46% of its full price on average, vs. 21% at Black Hills State

    Aid generosity
  2. 2

    Lake Superior State graduates 13 pts more of its students than Black Hills State (57% vs. 44%)

    Graduation rate
  3. 3

    Lake Superior State has 7 pts more Pell recipients than Black Hills State (27% vs. 20%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  4. 4

    Black Hills State is a bit larger (1,928 vs. 1,325)

    Undergrads
  5. 5

    Lake Superior State has 5 pts more first-gen students than Black Hills State (33% vs. 28%)

    First-generation students
  6. 6

    Lake Superior State costs about $2.2K less per year on average than Black Hills State ($15,649 vs. $17,814, all students)

    Average cost, all students

The shape of each school

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

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Black Hills State admits 96%; Lake Superior State doesn't report an acceptance rate.

Acceptance rate
Black Hills State96%
Lake Superior StateNot reported
Quad's selectivity
  • Black Hills StateOpen
  • Lake Superior StateNot rated
SAT middle 50%Axis 900–1600
Black Hills State
965–1135
Lake Superior StateNot reported
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Black Hills StateGPA, school record, rank, and prep program required
  • Lake Superior StateNot reported

Who's on each campus

Black Hills State is a bit larger than Lake Superior State (1,928 vs. 1,325 undergrads); Lake Superior State has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Black Hills State1.9K
Lake Superior State1.3K
Pell Grant share
Black Hills State20%
Lake Superior State27%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at Black Hills State, and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse at Lake Superior State.

Students per faculty member
Black Hills State17 to 1
Lake Superior State13 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Black Hills StateBusiness Administration and Management, General19%
  • Lake Superior StateRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse10%

What each costs

Lake Superior State costs about $2.2K less a year than Black Hills State on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Black Hills State$17.8K
Lake Superior State$15.6K
Aid generosity
Black Hills State21%
Lake Superior State46%

What each pays off

Lake Superior State's former students earn more, a median $49K ten years after enrolling.

Median earnings, 10 years
Black Hills State$46.7K
Lake Superior State$49K
Graduation rate
Black Hills State44%
Lake Superior State57%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Black Hills State, whose selectivity held steady.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Black Hills StateGrowing+25%
  • Lake Superior StateNot reported
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 2018About 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