TCNJ vs. Dakota State

Should I go to The College of New Jersey or Dakota State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if TCNJ or Dakota State is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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The College of New Jersey vs. Dakota State University comparison
The College of New Jersey Dakota State University College 3 College 4
The College of New Jersey Dakota State University
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Overview

 TCNJ Dakota State
Location Ewing, NJ Madison, SD
Setting Large Suburban Distant Town
Enrollment 7,652 3,508
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #164 #813
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tcnj.edu dsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 TCNJ Dakota State
Tuition (In State) $14,706 $7,616
Tuition (Out of State) $20,589 $10,718
Room & Board $15,569 $8,990
Avg Net Price $22,379 $19,115
Avg Grant Aid $13,824 $5,263
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 87%

Admission

 TCNJ Dakota State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,668 988
Admitted 7,251 967
Acceptance Rate 62.1% 97.9%
Enrolled % 21.3% 40.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.29 3.33
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 25/31 20/26
SAT Range 1140/1340 1020/1340
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 Feb 1, 2025

Academics

 TCNJ Dakota State
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (28%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Education (22%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (3%)

Outcomes

 TCNJ Dakota State
Graduation Rate 87% 34%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,100 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 67%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $240 $242

Diversity

 TCNJ Dakota State
% Men 2% 12%
% Women 6% 4%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 66% 84%
% Black 6% 4%
% Hispanic 12% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 3%
% International 0% 1%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

 TCNJ Dakota State
% In-State 95% 56%
% Out-of-State 5% 38%

Campus

 TCNJ Dakota State
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • The College of New Jersey is larger than than Dakota State based on total student enrollment (7,652 students vs. 3,508 students)

TCNJ vs. Dakota State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, TCNJ or Dakota State?

  • The College of New Jersey is 93.1% more expensive to attend than Dakota State for in-state tuition ($14,706.00 vs. $7,616.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 92.1% higher at TCNJ than Dakota State University ($20,589.00 vs. $10,718.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Dakota State University than TCNJ ($19,115 vs. $22,379)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Dakota State University are 73.2% lower than costs at The College of New Jersey ($8,990 vs. $15,569)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Dakota State University than The College of New Jersey (87% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The College of New Jersey students is 162.7% larger than aid received Dakota State University ($13,824 vs. $5,263)

TCNJ vs. Dakota State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at The College of New Jersey (1227) is 180 points higher than at Dakota State (1047)
  • Incoming TCNJ students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Dakota State (23)
  • Accepted freshman Dakota State students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.33) than students at TCNJ (3.29)
  • Dakota State has a higher acceptance rate (97.9%) than TCNJ (62.1%)

TCNJ vs. Dakota State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TCNJ or Dakota State? 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 State and TCNJ.

  • The graduation rate at TCNJ is higher than Dakota State University (87% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from The College of New Jersey earn on average $19,900 more per year than Dakota State graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $42,200)
  • The College of New Jersey students graduate with a $250 lower median federal student loan debt than Dakota State graduates. ($23,250 vs. $23,500)
  • TCNJ graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Dakota State graduates. ($240 vs. $242)
  • More TCNJ graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Dakota State students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 67%)

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