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	824	886
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)	$43,374	$31,700
Tuition (Out of State)	$43,374	$31,700
Room & Board	$10,910	$7,600
Avg Net Price	$27,031	$21,901
Avg Grant Aid	$27,729	$20,598
% Receiving Grant Aid	100%	100%

Admission	MCAD	Dakota Wesleyan University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	885	1,153
Admitted	428	839
Acceptance Rate	48.4%	72.8%
Enrolled %	39.5%	21.9%
Avg High School GPA	3.29	3.36
Typical High School Grades	B	B+
Admissions Standards	Average	Average
Applicant Competition	Low	Low
ACT Range	20/24	18/24
SAT Range	1110/1430	950/1420
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline	Apr 1, 2025	Aug 27, 2025

Academics	MCAD	Dakota Wesleyan University
Student to Faculty Ratio	10:1	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	4%	7%
% Women	10%	6%
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	65%	61%
% Out-of-State	33%	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 (886 students vs. 824 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 36.8% more expensive to attend than Dakota Wesleyan University for in-state tuition ($43,374.00 vs. $31,700.00)
• Out of state tuition is 36.8% higher at MCAD than Dakota Wesleyan University ($43,374.00 vs. $31,700.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dakota Wesleyan University than MCAD ($21,901 vs. $27,031)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Dakota Wesleyan University are 43.6% lower than costs at Minneapolis College of Art and Design ($7,600 vs. $10,910)
• 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 34.6% larger than aid received Dakota Wesleyan University ($27,729 vs. $20,598)

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 (72.8%) than MCAD (48.4%)

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/