MSU Moorhead vs Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU)

Minnesota State University Moorhead and Southwest Minnesota State University, both esteemed public universities in Minnesota, offer distinct educational experiences. Moorhead, located in the vibrant city of Moorhead, boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a diverse student body from various backgrounds. Its popular majors include Business, Education, and Nursing, catering to students seeking careers in these fields. On the other hand, Southwest Minnesota State University, nestled in the charming town of Marshall, offers a more selective admissions process, resulting in a smaller student body. It excels in programs like Agriculture, Business, and Education, providing specialized knowledge for students pursuing these disciplines. While Moorhead has a slightly higher graduation rate, both universities are committed to student success and offer a supportive learning environment. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Minnesota State University Moorhead	Southwest Minnesota State University
Overview
Location	Moorhead, Minnesota	Marshall, Minnesota
Campus setting	Suburb: Midsize	Town: Remote
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	69.0%	63.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	71.7%	91.0%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $35	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $30
SAT range	1040 - 1180	N/A
ACT range	19 - 25	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	2.0%
Students submitting ACT score	69.0%
Total number of applicants	3,143	1,672
Total number of admissions given out	2,254	1,522
Admitted students who chose to enroll	613	421
Yield rate	27.2%	27.7%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,884 Out of state: $31,980	$22,718
Average net price	$17,254	$14,061
Tuition	In state: $8,096 Out of state: $16,192	$8,230
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,440 Meal plan: $3,390	Room/dormitory: $5,426 Meal plan: $3,790
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	85.0% Average amount $5,127	97.0% Average amount $7,101
Students receiving federal student loan	62.0% Average amount $5,197	67.0% Average amount $5,124
Students taking out private loans	24.0% Average amount $9,822	17.0% Average amount $8,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,026 Men 37.7% Women 62.3%	6,556 Men 38.6% Women 61.4%
Graduate students	1,062 Men 28.0% Women 72.0%	430 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	3.0%	2.5%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Midsize	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,641	1,034
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Health Professions Business Visual & Performing Arts Communication and Journalism	Education Business Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Agriculture
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.9%	47.8%
Dropout rate	17.9%	20.7%
Transferred out	24.1%	29.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Construction Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,373 Year 2: $64,865 Year 3: $73,641 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,801 Year 2: $64,865 Year 3: $70,289 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,890 Year 2: $66,325 Year 3: $66,636 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,508 Year 2: $46,999 Year 3: $53,464 Curriculum and Instruction (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,137 Year 2: $51,690 Year 3: $51,598 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,524 Year 2: $48,600 Year 3: $50,567 Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $41,403 Year 2: $42,309 Year 3: $46,977 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,318 Year 2: $41,689 Year 3: $46,403 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,016 Year 2: $45,500 Year 3: $45,809 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,835 Year 2: $25,774 Year 3: $44,558	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,193 Year 2: $61,020 Year 3: $63,067 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $46,872 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $57,477 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,470 Year 2: $51,482 Year 3: $52,674 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $52,562 Year 2: $49,729 Year 3: $50,544 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,831 Year 2: $47,729 Year 3: $48,120 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,735 Year 2: $39,729 Year 3: $46,976 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,644 Year 2: $43,798 Year 3: $46,844 Hospitality Administration/Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $46,566 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,969 Year 2: $34,526 Year 3: $42,447 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $39,729 Year 3: $42,232

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MSU Moorhead vs Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU)

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Southwest Minnesota State University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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