Southwest Minnesota State University vs. University of Sioux Falls

Southwest Minnesota State University vs. University of Sioux Falls comparison

	Southwest Minnesota State University	University of Sioux Falls	College 3	College 4
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Overview	Southwest Minnesota State University	University of Sioux Falls
Location	Marshall, MN	Sioux Falls, SD
Setting	Rural Fringe	Midsize City
Enrollment	6,930	1,594
Type	Public 4 Year	Private 4 Year
National Ranking	#948
Religious Affiliation	-	American Baptist	-	-
Status	Non-profit	Non-profit
Website	smsu.edu	usiouxfalls.edu
Team Colors

Costs	Southwest Minnesota State University	University of Sioux Falls
Tuition (In State)	$8,840	$19,940
Tuition (Out of State)	$8,840	$19,940
Room & Board	$9,258	$8,090
Avg Net Price	$15,004	$20,957
Avg Grant Aid	$7,389	$12,117
% Receiving Grant Aid	94%	100%

Admission	Southwest Minnesota State University	University of Sioux Falls
Admission Chances	Calculate	Calculate
Applied	1,558	2,358
Admitted	1,427	1,791
Acceptance Rate	91.6%	76%
Enrolled %	22.8%	17.2%
Avg High School GPA	3.21	3.8
Typical High School Grades	B	A-
Admissions Standards	Extremely Easy	Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range	17/23
SAT Range	935/1102
Submit Test Scores	Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)	Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline	Aug 18, 2025

Academics	Southwest Minnesota State University	University of Sioux Falls
Student to Faculty Ratio	15:1	17:1
Popular Majors	Business (39%) Education (16%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (8%) Communication (4%) Biology (4%)	Business (34%) Education (11%) Psychology (9%) Health Professions (7%) Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
Outcomes	Southwest Minnesota State University	University of Sioux Falls
Graduation Rate	39%	59%
Median Earnings (After 10 years)	$41,200	$43,400
Making Student Loan Payments	66%	75%
Median Student Loan Debt	$21,678	$22,750
Median Loan Payment	$224	$235

Diversity	Southwest Minnesota State University	University of Sioux Falls
% Men	38%	39%
% Women	62%	61%
Racial Diversity	Low	Very Low
HBCU	No	No
% White	80%	89%
% Black	5%	4%
% Hispanic	4%	1%
% Native American	0%	1%
% Pacific Islander	0%	0%
% Two or More Races	3%	3%
% International	5%	1%
% Unknown Race	2%	1%

Students	Southwest Minnesota State University	University of Sioux Falls
% In-State	74%	50%
% Out-of-State	20%	50%
Campus	Southwest Minnesota State University	University of Sioux Falls
Campus Housing	Yes	Yes
Freshman Dorm Required	No	No
Meal Plan	Yes	Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes	Yes	Yes
Daycare Facility	Yes	No
Learn More	Details	Details

Comparable Facts

• Southwest Minnesota State University is larger than than University of Sioux Falls based on total student enrollment (6,930 students vs. 1,594 students)

Southwest Minnesota State University vs. University of Sioux Falls Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Southwest Minnesota State University or University of Sioux Falls?

• University of Sioux Falls is 125.6% more expensive to attend than Southwest Minnesota State University for in-state tuition ($19,940.00 vs. $8,840.00)
• Out of state tuition is 125.6% higher at University of Sioux Falls than Southwest Minnesota State University ($19,940.00 vs. $8,840.00)
• The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Southwest Minnesota State University than University of Sioux Falls ($15,004 vs. $20,957)
• Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Sioux Falls are 14.4% lower than costs at Southwest Minnesota State University ($8,090 vs. $9,258)
• More students receive financial grant aid at University of Sioux Falls than Southwest Minnesota State University (100% vs. 94%)
• The average total grant financial aid received by University of Sioux Falls students is 64% larger than aid received Southwest Minnesota State University ($12,117 vs. $7,389)

Southwest Minnesota State University vs. University of Sioux Falls Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

• The average SAT score at University of Sioux Falls (1046) is 38 points higher than at Southwest Minnesota State University (1008)
• Incoming University of Sioux Falls students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Southwest Minnesota State University (22)
• Accepted freshman University of Sioux Falls students have a 0.59 point higher average high school GPA (3.8) than students at Southwest Minnesota State University (3.21)
• Southwest Minnesota State University has a higher acceptance rate (91.6%) than University of Sioux Falls (76%)

Southwest Minnesota State University vs. University of Sioux Falls Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Southwest Minnesota State University or University of Sioux Falls? 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 University of Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State University.

• The graduation rate at University of Sioux Falls is higher than Southwest Minnesota State University (59% vs. 39%)
• Graduates from University of Sioux Falls earn on average $2,200 more per year than Southwest Minnesota State University graduates after ten years. ($43,400 vs. $41,200)
• Southwest Minnesota State University students graduate with a $1,072 lower median federal student loan debt than University of Sioux Falls graduates. ($21,678 vs. $22,750)
• Southwest Minnesota State University graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than University of Sioux Falls graduates. ($224 vs. $235)
• More University of Sioux Falls graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Southwest Minnesota State University students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 66%)

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