More selective than 78% of South Dakota colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $43,864. College Scorecard.
Higher than 33% of South Dakota colleges we cover and 39% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 67% of South Dakota colleges we cover and 51% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Dakota Wesleyan University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,153 applicants, Dakota Wesleyan University admitted 839 and 184 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Dakota Wesleyan University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Dakota Wesleyan University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Dakota Wesleyan University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in South Dakota. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $15,251 | $62,834 | 3.5 years |
| $30–48k | $15,750 | $64,890 | 3.6 years |
| $48–75k | $15,927 | $65,619 | 3.7 years |
| $75–110k | $19,048 | $78,478 | 4.4 years |
| $110k+ | $22,416 | $92,354 | 5.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (35% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($53,728) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,931 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Dakota Wesleyan University majors, earnings & careers
Dakota Wesleyan University offers 43 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Science & Math · 7
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Dakota Wesleyan University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $76,515 | $31,000 |
Quick list of all 43 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Behavioral Sciences—
- Biochemistry—
- Biological and Physical Sciences—
- Biology—
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration—
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Criminal Justice—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Finance—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Human Services—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Literature—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Music—
- Nursing$76,515
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Sociology—
- Software and Media Applications—
- Special Education—
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Mitchell
2 bedrooms $1,087.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 21 inches of rain a year, 41 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Davison County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Davison County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Dakota Wesleyan University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in South Dakota by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota Wesleyan University | 73% | $19,735 | 48% | $53,728 | This school |
| University of Sioux Falls | 83% | $21,383 | 63% | $54,521 | |
| Augustana University | 68% | $23,894 | 73% | $59,217 | |
| Mount Marty University | 43% | $22,227 | 52% | $48,179 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Dakota Wesleyan University would cost you $1,648 less per year than University of Sioux Falls, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Dakota Wesleyan University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$12,040).
- Dakota Wesleyan University gives aided families $11,238 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Dakota resident | Dakota Wesleyan University | University of Sioux Falls | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $33,790 | $21,750 | +$12,040 |
| Books & supplies | $1,500 | $1,000 | +$500 |
| Housing & meals | $7,600 | $8,960 | −$1,360 |
| Personal & travel | $1,850 | $4,345 | −$2,495 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$876 | −$1,781 | +$905 |
| Sticker price | $43,864 | $34,274 | +$9,590 |
| Average grants | −$24,129 | −$12,891 | −$11,238 |
| You pay | $19,735 | $21,383 | −$1,648 |
“+” means Dakota Wesleyan University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Dakota Wesleyan University
What is the Dakota Wesleyan University acceptance rate?
Dakota Wesleyan University accepts 73% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 839 of 1,153 applicants were admitted.
How much does Dakota Wesleyan University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $43,864 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,735 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,251 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,416.
How much do Dakota Wesleyan University graduates earn?
Former Dakota Wesleyan University students earn a median $53,728 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Dakota Wesleyan University graduation rate?
48% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 75% return for their second year.
How long does a Dakota Wesleyan University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Dakota Wesleyan University costs about $65,619 after grants ($15,927 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $53,728 ten years after starting, $17,931 more than high school graduates in South Dakota ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 3.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Dakota Wesleyan University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/dakota-wesleyan-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).