MCAD vs. Dakota Wesleyan University

Minneapolis College of Art and Design vs. Dakota Wesleyan University comparison

	Minneapolis College of Art and Design	Dakota Wesleyan University	College 3	College 4
	Remove	Remove	+Add	+Add
Overview	MCAD	Dakota Wesleyan University
Location	Minneapolis, MN	Mitchell, SD
Setting	Large City	Remote Town
Enrollment	821	887
Type	Private 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation	-	United Methodist	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	mcad.edu	dwu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	MCAD	Dakota Wesleyan University
Tuition (In State)	$42,110	$30,700
Tuition (Out of State)	$42,110	$30,700
Room & Board	$7,290	$7,450
Avg Net Price	$28,443	$19,825
Avg Grant Aid	$26,025	$21,097
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	100%

Admission	MCAD	Dakota Wesleyan University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	668	1,209
Admitted	380	904
Acceptance Rate	56.9%	74.8%
Enrolled %	42.1%	18.6%
Avg High School GPA	3.29	3.36
Typical High School Grades	B	B+
Admissions Standards	Challenging	Average
Applicant Competition	Low
ACT Range	19/27	18/24
SAT Range	1170/1380	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	Apr 1, 2025	Aug 27, 2025

Academics	MCAD	Dakota Wesleyan University
Student to Faculty Ratio	9:1	12:1
Popular Majors	Visual and Performing Arts (73%) Business (12%) Communications Technology (9%) Precision Production Trades (3%) Communication (3%)	Health Professions (37%) Business (13%) Education (9%) Biology (7%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (6%)
Outcomes	MCAD	Dakota Wesleyan University
Graduation Rate	70%	43%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$41,500	$38,200
Making Student Loan Payments	74%	71%
Median Student Loan Debt	$25,750	$26,533
Median Loan Payment	$266	$274

Diversity	MCAD	Dakota Wesleyan University
% Men	31%	46%
% Women	69%	54%
Racial Diversity	High	Very Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	59%	88%
% Black	4%	2%
% Hispanic	6%	3%
% Native American	1%	2%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	3%	3%
% International	3%	2%
% Unknown Race	16%	0%

Students	MCAD	Dakota Wesleyan University
% In-State	61%	61%
% Out-of-State	34%	35%
Campus	MCAD	Dakota Wesleyan University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	No	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	No	No
Daycare Facility	No	Yes
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Dakota Wesleyan University is larger than than MCAD based on total student enrollment (887 students vs. 821 students)

MCAD vs. Dakota Wesleyan University Cost Comparison

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

• Minneapolis College of Art and Design is 37.2% more expensive to attend than Dakota Wesleyan University for in-state tuition ($42,110.00 vs. $30,700.00)
• Out of state tuition is 37.2% higher at MCAD than Dakota Wesleyan University ($42,110.00 vs. $30,700.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dakota Wesleyan University than MCAD ($19,825 vs. $28,443)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Minneapolis College of Art and Design are 2.2% lower than costs at Dakota Wesleyan University ($7,290 vs. $7,450)
• The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Minneapolis College of Art and Design as Dakota Wesleyan University (100% vs. 100%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by Minneapolis College of Art and Design students is 23.4% larger than aid received Dakota Wesleyan University ($26,025 vs. $21,097)

MCAD vs. Dakota Wesleyan University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, MCAD 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 MCAD .

• The average SAT score at Minneapolis College of Art and Design (1096) is 114 points higher than at Dakota Wesleyan University (982)
• Incoming MCAD students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Dakota Wesleyan University (21)
• Accepted freshman Dakota Wesleyan University students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.36) than students at MCAD (3.29)
• Dakota Wesleyan University has a higher acceptance rate (74.8%) than MCAD (56.9%)

MCAD vs. Dakota Wesleyan University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MCAD 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 MCAD.

• The graduation rate at MCAD is higher than Dakota Wesleyan University (70% vs. 43%)
• Graduates from Minneapolis College of Art and Design earn on average $3,300 more per year than Dakota Wesleyan University graduates after ten years. ($41,500 vs. $38,200)
• Minneapolis College of Art and Design students graduate with a $783 lower median federal student loan debt than Dakota Wesleyan University graduates. ($25,750 vs. $26,533)
• MCAD graduates are paying $8 less per month on federal student loans than Dakota Wesleyan University graduates. ($266 vs. $274)
• More MCAD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Dakota Wesleyan University students, three years after graduation. (74% vs. 71%)

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