Bethel University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University

Bethel University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University comparison

	Bethel University	Southwest Minnesota State University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Bethel University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Location	Saint Paul, MN	Marshall, MN
Setting	Large Suburban	Rural Fringe
Enrollment	3,521	7,324
Type	Private 4 Year	Public 4 Year
National Ranking	#320	#910
Religious Affiliation	Baptist	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	bethel.edu	smsu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Bethel University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Tuition (In State)	$42,760	$8,840
Tuition (Out of State)	$42,760	$8,840
Room & Board	$12,090	$10,666
Avg Net Price	$30,375	$14,839
Avg Grant Aid	$25,924	$7,455
% Receiving Grant Aid	99%	91%

Admission	Bethel University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,642	2,630
Admitted	1,494	1,813
Acceptance Rate	91%	68.9%
Enrolled %	28.8%	20.3%
Avg High School GPA	3.6	3.21
Typical High School Grades	B+	B
Admissions Standards	Challenging	Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition		Low
ACT Range	23/29	17/23
SAT Range	1065/1240	935/1102
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, 2026	Aug 18, 2026

Academics	Bethel University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Student to Faculty Ratio	12:1	16:1
Popular Majors	Business (24%) Health Professions (18%) Education (10%) Communication (8%) Psychology (5%)	Business (39%) Education (16%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%) Communication (4%) Biology (4%)
Outcomes	Bethel University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Graduation Rate	73%	39%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$50,100	$41,200
Making Student Loan Payments	80%	66%
Median Student Loan Debt	$24,400	$21,678
Median Loan Payment	$252	$224

Diversity	Bethel University	Southwest Minnesota State University
% Men	8%	2%
% Women	17%	4%
Racial Diversity	Low	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	78%	80%
% Black	5%	5%
% Hispanic	4%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	2%	3%
% International	0%	5%
% Unknown Race	7%	2%

Students	Bethel University	Southwest Minnesota State University
% In-State	82%	74%
% Out-of-State	16%	20%
Campus	Bethel University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	Yes
Daycare Facility	Yes	Yes
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Southwest Minnesota State University is larger than than Bethel University based on total student enrollment (7,324 students vs. 3,521 students)

Bethel University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Bethel University or Southwest Minnesota State University?

• Bethel University is 383.7% more expensive to attend than Southwest Minnesota State University for in-state tuition ($42,760.00 vs. $8,840.00)
• Out of state tuition is 383.7% higher at Bethel University than Southwest Minnesota State University ($42,760.00 vs. $8,840.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwest Minnesota State University than Bethel University ($14,839 vs. $30,375)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southwest Minnesota State University are 13.4% lower than costs at Bethel University ($10,666 vs. $12,090)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Bethel University than Southwest Minnesota State University (99% vs. 91%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Bethel University students is 247.7% larger than aid received Southwest Minnesota State University ($25,924 vs. $7,455)

Bethel University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at Bethel University (1127) is 119 points higher than at Southwest Minnesota State University (1008)
• Incoming Bethel University students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Southwest Minnesota State University (22)
• Accepted freshman Bethel University students have a 0.39 point higher average high school GPA (3.6) than students at Southwest Minnesota State University (3.21)
• Bethel University has a higher acceptance rate (91%) than Southwest Minnesota State University (68.9%)

Bethel University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Bethel University or Southwest Minnesota State 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 Southwest Minnesota State University and Bethel University.

• The graduation rate at Bethel University is higher than Southwest Minnesota State University (73% vs. 39%)
• Graduates from Bethel University earn on average $8,900 more per year than Southwest Minnesota State University graduates after ten years. ($50,100 vs. $41,200)
• Southwest Minnesota State University students graduate with a $2,722 lower median federal student loan debt than Bethel University graduates. ($21,678 vs. $24,400)
• Southwest Minnesota State University graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than Bethel University graduates. ($224 vs. $252)
• More Bethel University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southwest Minnesota State University students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 66%)

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