Bethel University vs. Dakota Wesleyan University

Bethel University vs. Dakota Wesleyan University comparison

	Bethel University	Dakota Wesleyan University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	Bethel University	Dakota Wesleyan University
Location	Saint Paul, MN	Mitchell, SD
Setting	Large Suburban	Remote Town
Enrollment	3,546	887
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#238
Religious Affiliation	Baptist	United Methodist	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	bethel.edu	dwu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Bethel University	Dakota Wesleyan University
Tuition (In State)	$41,110	$30,700
Tuition (Out of State)	$41,110	$30,700
Room & Board	$11,490	$7,450
Avg Net Price	$29,915	$19,825
Avg Grant Aid	$24,586	$21,097
% Receiving Grant Aid	98%	100%

Admission	Bethel University	Dakota Wesleyan University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	2,199	1,209
Admitted	1,594	904
Acceptance Rate	72.5%	74.8%
Enrolled %	27.9%	18.6%
Avg High School GPA	3.6	3.36
Typical High School Grades	B+	B+
Admissions Standards	Challenging	Average
Applicant Competition	Low
ACT Range	20/28	18/24
SAT Range	1123/1343	950/1420
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline	May 1, 2025	Aug 27, 2025

Academics	Bethel University	Dakota Wesleyan University
Student to Faculty Ratio	12:1	12:1
Popular Majors	Business (24%) Health Professions (18%) Education (10%) Communication (8%) Psychology (5%)	Health Professions (37%) Business (13%) Education (9%) Biology (7%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
Outcomes	Bethel University	Dakota Wesleyan University
Graduation Rate	73%	43%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$50,100	$38,200
Making Student Loan Payments	80%	71%
Median Student Loan Debt	$24,400	$26,533
Median Loan Payment	$252	$274

Diversity	Bethel University	Dakota Wesleyan University
% Men	38%	46%
% Women	62%	54%
Racial Diversity	Low	Very Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	78%	88%
% Black	5%	2%
% Hispanic	4%	3%
% Native American	0%	2%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	2%	3%
% International	0%	2%
% Unknown Race	7%	0%

Students	Bethel University	Dakota Wesleyan University
% In-State	79%	61%
% Out-of-State	21%	35%
Campus	Bethel University	Dakota Wesleyan University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	No
Daycare Facility	Yes	Yes
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Bethel University is larger than than Dakota Wesleyan University based on total student enrollment (3,546 students vs. 887 students)

Bethel University vs. Dakota Wesleyan University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bethel University or Dakota Wesleyan University?

• Bethel University is 33.9% more expensive to attend than Dakota Wesleyan University for in-state tuition ($41,110.00 vs. $30,700.00)
• Out of state tuition is 33.9% higher at Bethel University than Dakota Wesleyan University ($41,110.00 vs. $30,700.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dakota Wesleyan University than Bethel University ($19,825 vs. $29,915)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Dakota Wesleyan University are 54.2% lower than costs at Bethel University ($7,450 vs. $11,490)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Dakota Wesleyan University than Bethel University (100% vs. 98%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Bethel University students is 16.5% larger than aid received Dakota Wesleyan University ($24,586 vs. $21,097)

Bethel University vs. Dakota Wesleyan University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Bethel University or Dakota Wesleyan University? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Dakota Wesleyan University or Bethel University .

• The average SAT score at Bethel University (1127) is 145 points higher than at Dakota Wesleyan University (982)
• Incoming Bethel University students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Dakota Wesleyan University (21)
• Accepted freshman Bethel University students have a 0.24 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Dakota Wesleyan University (3.36)
• Dakota Wesleyan University has a higher acceptance rate (74.8%) than Bethel University (72.5%)

Bethel University vs. Dakota Wesleyan University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bethel University or Dakota Wesleyan University? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Dakota Wesleyan University and Bethel University.

• The graduation rate at Bethel University is higher than Dakota Wesleyan University (73% vs. 43%)
• Graduates from Bethel University earn on average $11,900 more per year than Dakota Wesleyan University graduates after ten years. ($50,100 vs. $38,200)
• Bethel University students graduate with a $2,133 lower median federal student loan debt than Dakota Wesleyan University graduates. ($24,400 vs. $26,533)
• Bethel University graduates are paying $22 less per month on federal student loans than Dakota Wesleyan University graduates. ($252 vs. $274)
• More Bethel University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Dakota Wesleyan University students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 71%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/