# Dakota Wesleyan University

Private nonprofit college in Mitchell, SD. IPEDS ID 219091.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/dakota-wesleyan-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/dakota-wesleyan-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 73% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $19,735 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 48%; beats 33% of SD colleges and 39% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $53,728; beats 67% of SD colleges and 51% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $19,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $15,251 |
| 30-48k | $15,750 |
| 48-75k | $15,927 |
| 75-110k | $19,048 |
| 110k+ | $22,416 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.12 years on average (35% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $53,728 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SD (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $43,864
- Tuition and fees: $33,790
- Housing and meals: $7,600; books: $1,500

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: not reported; SAT math: not reported; ACT: not reported (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 1,153 applicants, 839 admitted, 184 enrolled; test scores not considered
- Fall 2024: acceptance 73%, ACT not reported (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 73%, ACT not reported (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (43 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $67,981 | $76,515 | $31,000 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Communications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Software and Media Applications | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Linguistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| English | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Literature | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Behavioral Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Psychology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminal Justice | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Security / Homeland Security | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Economics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Visual and Performing Arts | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Accounting | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Finance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Science / Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Marketing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage not reported (metro), $78,060 (SD), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Communications → Public relations specialist: median wage not reported (metro), $64,520 (SD), $74,750 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).