UNO vs. Dakota State

Should I go to University of New Orleans or Dakota State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UNO 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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University of New Orleans vs. Dakota State University comparison
University of New Orleans Dakota State University College 3 College 4
University of New Orleans Dakota State University
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Overview

 UNO Dakota State
Location New Orleans, LA Madison, SD
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 6,601 3,508
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #675 #813
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uno.edu dsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UNO Dakota State
Tuition (In State) $6,090 $7,616
Tuition (Out of State) $10,926 $10,718
Room & Board $12,174 $8,990
Avg Net Price $11,190 $19,115
Avg Grant Aid $10,822 $5,263
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 87%

Admission

 UNO Dakota State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,253 988
Admitted 4,843 967
Acceptance Rate 66.8% 97.9%
Enrolled % 17.4% 40.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.21 3.33
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Moderate Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 17/23 20/26
SAT Range 960/1320 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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 UNO Dakota State
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 19:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (28%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Education (22%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (3%)

Outcomes

 UNO Dakota State
Graduation Rate 38% 34%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $42,700 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 50% 67%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,500 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $170 $242

Diversity

 UNO Dakota State
% Men 7% 12%
% Women 10% 4%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 54% 84%
% Black 16% 4%
% Hispanic 12% 4%
% Native American 0% 1%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 UNO Dakota State
% In-State 90% 56%
% Out-of-State 8% 38%

Campus

 UNO Dakota State
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

  • University of New Orleans is larger than than Dakota State based on total student enrollment (6,601 students vs. 3,508 students)

UNO vs. Dakota State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UNO or Dakota State?

  • Dakota State University is 25.1% more expensive to attend than UNO for in-state tuition ($7,616.00 vs. $6,090.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.9% higher at UNO than Dakota State University ($10,926.00 vs. $10,718.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of New Orleans than Dakota State ($11,190 vs. $19,115)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Dakota State University are 35.4% lower than costs at University of New Orleans ($8,990 vs. $12,174)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of New Orleans than Dakota State University (95% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of New Orleans students is 105.6% larger than aid received Dakota State University ($10,822 vs. $5,263)

UNO vs. Dakota State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Dakota State University (1047) is 13 points higher than at UNO (1034)
  • Incoming Dakota State students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at UNO (22)
  • Accepted freshman Dakota State students have a 0.12 point higher average high school GPA (3.33) than students at UNO (3.21)
  • Dakota State has a higher acceptance rate (97.9%) than UNO (66.8%)

UNO vs. Dakota State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UNO 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 UNO.

  • The graduation rate at UNO is higher than Dakota State University (38% vs. 34%)
  • Graduates from University of New Orleans earn on average $500 more per year than Dakota State graduates after ten years. ($42,700 vs. $42,200)
  • University of New Orleans students graduate with a $7,000 lower median federal student loan debt than Dakota State graduates. ($16,500 vs. $23,500)
  • UNO graduates are paying $72 less per month on federal student loans than Dakota State graduates. ($170 vs. $242)
  • More Dakota State graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNO students, three years after graduation. (67% vs. 50%)

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