More selective than 33% 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 $22,077. College Scorecard.
Higher than 42% of South Dakota colleges we cover and 40% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 33% of South Dakota colleges we cover and 33% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
NSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,082 applicants, Northern State University admitted 1,004 and 319 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 980–1160 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
NSU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for South Dakota residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What NSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Northern State University took 4.5 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 | $10,762 | $48,214 | 4.1 years |
| $30–48k | $12,087 | $54,150 | 4.6 years |
| $48–75k | $15,293 | $68,513 | 5.8 years |
| $75–110k | $18,372 | $82,307 | 7.0 years |
| $110k+ | $17,933 | $80,340 | 6.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (32% 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 ($47,618) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,821 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.
NSU majors, earnings & careers
Northern State University offers 33 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 7
- Humanities & Languages · 7
- Science & Math · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at NSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | $70,545 | $25,300 |
| Accounting | $67,072 | $29,816 |
| Business Administration | $56,571 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $53,484 | $24,500 |
| Sociology | $50,765 | — |
| Finance | $48,324 | — |
| Psychology | $45,921 | — |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $44,147 | $24,242 |
Quick list of all 33 majors
- Accounting$67,072
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$70,545
- Business Administration$56,571
- Chemistry—
- Criminal Justice—
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$44,147
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Finance$48,324
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Information Technology—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$53,484
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$45,921
- Sociology$50,765
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- 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 →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Education (Elementary / Secondary) → Elementary school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Aberdeen
2 bedrooms $1,014.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 23 inches of rain a year, 43 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Brown County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Brown County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare NSU with similar schools
Similar public 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern State University | 93% | $15,812 | 49% | $47,618 | This school |
| Dakota State University | 88% | $21,057 | 51% | $50,970 | |
| Black Hills State University | 96% | $15,911 | 43% | $46,674 | |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | 80% | $20,183 | 53% | $72,257 | |
| University of South Dakota | 99% | $19,858 | 60% | $51,926 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Northern State University would cost you $5,245 less per year than Dakota State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Northern State University, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$3,286).
- Northern State University gives aided families $1,569 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Dakota resident | NSU | Dakota State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,845 | $9,654 | −$809 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $10,300 | $8,990 | +$1,310 |
| Personal & travel | $3,000 | $6,286 | −$3,286 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,268 | −$377 | −$891 |
| Sticker price | $22,077 | $25,753 | −$3,676 |
| Average grants | −$6,265 | −$4,696 | −$1,569 |
| You pay | $15,812 | $21,057 | −$5,245 |
“+” means NSU 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 NSU
What is the NSU acceptance rate?
Northern State University accepts 93% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,004 of 1,082 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 980–1160 on the SAT or 18–24 on the ACT.
How much does Northern State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $22,077 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $15,812 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $10,762 and families earning $110k+ pay $17,933.
How much do NSU graduates earn?
Former Northern State University students earn a median $47,618 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the NSU graduation rate?
49% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for their second year.
How long does a NSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Northern State University costs about $68,513 after grants ($15,293 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $47,618 ten years after starting, $11,821 more than high school graduates in South Dakota ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 5.8 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: “Northern State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).