Clarke University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University

Clarke University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University comparison

	Clarke University	Southwest Minnesota State University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Clarke University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Location	Dubuque, IA	Marshall, MN
Setting	Small City	Rural Fringe
Enrollment	965	6,930
Type	Private 4 Year	Public 4 Year
National Ranking		#948
Religious Affiliation	Roman Catholic	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	clarke.edu	smsu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Clarke University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Tuition (In State)	$36,900	$8,840
Tuition (Out of State)	$36,900	$8,840
Room & Board	$10,600	$9,258
Avg Net Price	$27,275	$15,004
Avg Grant Aid	$25,403	$7,389
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	94%

Admission	Clarke University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	2,665	1,558
Admitted	2,260	1,427
Acceptance Rate	84.8%	91.6%
Enrolled %	8.5%	22.8%
Avg High School GPA	3.36	3.21
Typical High School Grades	B+	B
Admissions Standards	Very Easy	Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	18/23	17/23
SAT Range	920/1160	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		Aug 18, 2025

Academics	Clarke University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Student to Faculty Ratio	9:1	15:1
Popular Majors	Health Professions (24%) Business (16%) Education (14%) Psychology (9%) Human Services (6%)	Business (39%) Education (16%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%) Communication (4%) Biology (4%)
Outcomes	Clarke University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Graduation Rate	60%	39%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$42,800	$41,200
Making Student Loan Payments	74%	66%
Median Student Loan Debt	$26,000	$21,678
Median Loan Payment	$268	$224

Diversity	Clarke University	Southwest Minnesota State University
% Men	51%	38%
% Women	49%	62%
Racial Diversity	Very Low	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	85%	80%
% Black	4%	5%
% Hispanic	7%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	2%	3%
% International	1%	5%
% Unknown Race	1%	2%

Students	Clarke University	Southwest Minnesota State University
% In-State	25%	74%
% Out-of-State	65%	20%
Campus	Clarke 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	No	Yes
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Southwest Minnesota State University is larger than than Clarke University based on total student enrollment (6,930 students vs. 965 students)

Clarke University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University Cost Comparison

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

• Clarke University is 317.4% more expensive to attend than Southwest Minnesota State University for in-state tuition ($36,900.00 vs. $8,840.00)
• Out of state tuition is 317.4% higher at Clarke University than Southwest Minnesota State University ($36,900.00 vs. $8,840.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwest Minnesota State University than Clarke University ($15,004 vs. $27,275)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Southwest Minnesota State University are 14.5% lower than costs at Clarke University ($9,258 vs. $10,600)
• More students receive financial grant aid at Clarke University than Southwest Minnesota State University (100% vs. 94%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Clarke University students is 243.8% larger than aid received Southwest Minnesota State University ($25,403 vs. $7,389)

Clarke University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Clarke 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 Clarke University .

• The average SAT score at Clarke University (1045) is 37 points higher than at Southwest Minnesota State University (1008)
• Incoming Clarke University students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Southwest Minnesota State University (22)
• Accepted freshman Clarke University students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.36) than students at Southwest Minnesota State University (3.21)
• Southwest Minnesota State University has a higher acceptance rate (91.6%) than Clarke University (84.8%)

Clarke University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Clarke 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 Clarke University.

• The graduation rate at Clarke University is higher than Southwest Minnesota State University (60% vs. 39%)
• Graduates from Clarke University earn on average $1,600 more per year than Southwest Minnesota State University graduates after ten years. ($42,800 vs. $41,200)
• Southwest Minnesota State University students graduate with a $4,322 lower median federal student loan debt than Clarke University graduates. ($21,678 vs. $26,000)
• Southwest Minnesota State University graduates are paying $44 less per month on federal student loans than Clarke University graduates. ($224 vs. $268)
• More Clarke University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southwest Minnesota State University students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 66%)

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