Quad

Head-to-head

South Dakota State
North Dakota State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    North Dakota State grads earn $7.1K more ten years out than South Dakota State's ($62,203 vs. $55,070)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  2. 2

    North Dakota State graduates 6 pts more of its students than South Dakota State (64% vs. 58%)

    Graduation rate
  3. 3

    North Dakota State has 3 pts more Pell recipients than South Dakota State (20% vs. 17%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  4. 4

    South Dakota State has 3 pts more first-gen students than North Dakota State (20% vs. 17%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    North Dakota State's grants cover 19% of its full price on average, vs. 16% at South Dakota State

    Aid generosity
  6. 6

    South Dakota State's yield is 2 pts higher than North Dakota State's

    Yield rate

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

North Dakota State admits 95%, South Dakota State 98%; South Dakota State's yield is higher, at 34%.

Acceptance rate
South Dakota State98%
North Dakota State95%
Quad's selectivity
  • South Dakota StateOpen
  • North Dakota StateOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
South Dakota State
1060–1240
North Dakota StateNot reported
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • South Dakota StateGPA, school record, rank, and prep program required
  • North Dakota StateGPA very important

Who's on each campus

South Dakota State and North Dakota State are about the same size; North Dakota State has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
South Dakota State9.2K
North Dakota State9.5K
Pell Grant share
South Dakota State17%
North Dakota State20%

Majors and faculty

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse leads at both; South Dakota State has 17 students per faculty member to North Dakota State's 19.

Students per faculty member
South Dakota State17 to 1
North Dakota State19 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • South Dakota StateRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse18%
  • North Dakota StateRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse9%

What each costs

South Dakota State and North Dakota State cost about the same a year on average; North Dakota State's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
South Dakota State$21.5K
North Dakota State$22.5K
Aid generosity
South Dakota State16%
North Dakota State19%

What each pays off

North Dakota State's former students earn more, a median $62.2K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 50% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
South Dakota State$55.1K
North Dakota State$62.2K
Graduation rate
South Dakota State58%
North Dakota State64%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • South Dakota StateGrowing+42%
  • North Dakota StateGrowing+27%
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;North Dakota State University-Main Campus Common Data Set 2024–25, 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