North Central University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University

North Central University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University comparison

	North Central University	Southwest Minnesota State University	College 3	College 4
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Overview	North Central University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Location	Minneapolis, MN	Marshall, MN
Setting	Large City	Rural Fringe
Enrollment	992	6,930
Type	Private 4 Year	Public 4 Year
National Ranking		#948
Religious Affiliation	Assemblies of God Church	-	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	northcentral.edu	smsu.edu
Team Colors

Costs	North Central University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Tuition (In State)	$27,140	$8,840
Tuition (Out of State)	$27,140	$8,840
Room & Board	$8,940	$9,258
Avg Net Price	$23,374	$15,004
Avg Grant Aid	$17,481	$7,389
% Receiving Grant Aid	98%	94%

Admission	North Central University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	544	1,558
Admitted	494	1,427
Acceptance Rate	90.8%	91.6%
Enrolled %	34.8%	22.8%
Avg High School GPA	3.4	3.21
Typical High School Grades	B+	B
Admissions Standards	Very Easy	Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	18/24	17/23
SAT Range	950/1148	935/1102
Submit Test Scores	Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline	Jun 1, 2025	Aug 18, 2025

Academics	North Central University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Student to Faculty Ratio	11:1	15:1
Popular Majors	Theology and Religious Vvocations (36%) Education (11%) General Studies (9%) Work and Family Studies (8%) Business (8%)	Business (39%) Education (16%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%) Communication (4%) Biology (4%)
Outcomes	North Central University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Graduation Rate	40%	39%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$33,300	$41,200
Making Student Loan Payments	68%	66%
Median Student Loan Debt	$25,000	$21,678
Median Loan Payment	$258	$224

Diversity	North Central University	Southwest Minnesota State University
% Men	47%	38%
% Women	53%	62%
Racial Diversity	Low	Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	79%	80%
% Black	4%	5%
% Hispanic	6%	4%
% Native American	0%	0%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	4%	3%
% International	2%	5%
% Unknown Race	3%	2%

Students	North Central University	Southwest Minnesota State University
% In-State	33%	74%
% Out-of-State	47%	20%
Campus	North Central University	Southwest Minnesota State University
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	No	Yes
Daycare Facility	No	Yes
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Southwest Minnesota State University is larger than than North Central University based on total student enrollment (6,930 students vs. 992 students)

North Central University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University Cost Comparison

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

• North Central University is 207% more expensive to attend than Southwest Minnesota State University for in-state tuition ($27,140.00 vs. $8,840.00)
• Out of state tuition is 207% higher at North Central University than Southwest Minnesota State University ($27,140.00 vs. $8,840.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwest Minnesota State University than North Central University ($15,004 vs. $23,374)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at North Central University are 3.6% lower than costs at Southwest Minnesota State University ($8,940 vs. $9,258)
• More students receive financial grant aid at North Central University than Southwest Minnesota State University (98% vs. 94%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by North Central University students is 136.6% larger than aid received Southwest Minnesota State University ($17,481 vs. $7,389)

North Central University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, North Central 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 North Central University .

• The average SAT score at North Central University (1024) is 16 points higher than at Southwest Minnesota State University (1008)
• Incoming North Central University students have at the same average ACT score (22) as students at Southwest Minnesota State University (22)
• Accepted freshman North Central University students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.4) than students at Southwest Minnesota State University (3.21)
• Southwest Minnesota State University has a higher acceptance rate (91.6%) than North Central University (90.8%)

North Central University vs. Southwest Minnesota State University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, North Central 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 North Central University.

• The graduation rate at North Central University is higher than Southwest Minnesota State University (40% vs. 39%)
• Graduates from Southwest Minnesota State University earn on average $7,900 more per year than North Central University graduates after ten years. ($41,200 vs. $33,300)
• Southwest Minnesota State University students graduate with a $3,322 lower median federal student loan debt than North Central University graduates. ($21,678 vs. $25,000)
• Southwest Minnesota State University graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than North Central University graduates. ($224 vs. $258)
• More North Central University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southwest Minnesota State University students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 66%)

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