Saint Cloud State University (SCSU) vs Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU)

Saint Cloud State University and Southwest Minnesota State University, both esteemed public universities in Minnesota, offer distinct educational experiences. Saint Cloud State, located in the vibrant city of Saint Cloud, boasts a higher acceptance rate, attracting a diverse student body from various backgrounds. Southwest Minnesota State, nestled in the charming town of Marshall, maintains a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. While both universities excel in liberal arts and sciences, Saint Cloud State is renowned for its strong programs in business, education, and nursing, while Southwest Minnesota State shines in agriculture, aviation, and health sciences. Explore the comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including graduation rates, tuition fees, and campus life, to determine which university best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Saint Cloud State University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Overview
Location	Saint Cloud, Minnesota	Marshall, Minnesota
Campus setting	City: Small	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	62.0%	63.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	94.3%	91.0%
Application fees	$40	Undergraduate: $20 Graduate: $30
SAT range	N/A	N/A
ACT range	18 - 24	N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%
Total number of applicants	4,228	1,672
Total number of admissions given out	3,988	1,522
Admitted students who chose to enroll	837	421
Yield rate	21.0%	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: $22,317 Out of state: $31,157	$22,718
Average net price	$13,615	$14,061
Tuition	In state: $7,839 Out of state: $16,679	$8,230
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,036 Meal plan: $3,311	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)	83.0% Average amount $6,233	97.0% Average amount $7,101
Students receiving federal student loan	48.0% Average amount $5,504	67.0% Average amount $5,124
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $10,683	17.0% Average amount $8,087

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	8,956 Men 45.7% Women 54.3%	6,556 Men 38.6% Women 61.4%
Graduate students	1,818 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%	430 Men 33.3% Women 66.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	N/A
International students	10.2%	2.5%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity	1,642	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 Engineering Liberal Arts	Education Business Health Professions Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Agriculture
Students to faculty ratio	16:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	47.2%	47.8%
Dropout rate	16.2%	20.7%
Transferred out	34.9%	29.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Educational Administration and Supervision (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $80,556 Year 3: $94,800 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,020 Year 2: $75,204 Year 3: $92,834 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $67,563 Year 2: $70,009 Year 3: $81,117 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,734 Year 2: $59,253 Year 3: $78,506 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,589 Year 2: $63,377 Year 3: $74,072 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,404 Year 2: $66,377 Year 3: $68,544 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $58,522 Year 3: $66,211 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,623 Year 2: $55,964 Year 3: $63,637 Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,397 Year 2: $62,154 Year 3: $62,291 Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,276 Year 2: $51,273 Year 3: $57,748	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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Saint Cloud State University (SCSU) vs Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU)

Saint Cloud State University

Southwest Minnesota State University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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