Dakota State University — admissions, outcomes, merit aid & scholarships

🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

Solid academic profile (SAT 1020–1340 · ACT 20–26 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
In-state residents (tuition ~$9,654 — major value play)
Students focused on Computer & Information Sciences (the school's signature program)
Families wanting a small liberal-arts experience

🎯 The reality

Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1020, or ACT below 20, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification

M2: Master's - Medium Programs

Total enrollment

2,071

1,000 - 4,999

In-state tuition

$9,654

sticker, before aid

Out-of-state tuition

$12,756

+$3,102 vs in-state

Admit rate

97.9%

Accepts the majority

SAT middle 50%

1020–1340

EBRW + Math composite

ACT middle 50%

20–26

composite

Test policy

Test-optional

2023

10-yr earnings

$50,970

median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry

$46,146

Earnings, 10 yrs after entry

$50,970

4-year completion

51%

Median debt (completers)

$23,500

Cost of attendance

$25,753

sticker price, not net

Pell-eligible students

17%

💰 True ROI

6.1× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)

$84,228

$21,057/yr avg net

Aid that hides behind the sticker

$18,784

vs sticker $103,012

10-yr earnings total

$509,700

$50,970/yr median, 10 yrs out

Years to recoup actual cost

1.7 yrs

at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Dakota State University, the average net price is $21,057/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k

$17,317/yr

Family income $30-48k

$18,792/yr

Family income $48-75k

$19,165/yr

Family income $75-110k

$22,601/yr

Family income $110k+

$23,269/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Dakota State University's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Dakota State University →

Opens on Dakota State University's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Dakota State University

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Dakota State University actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Computer & Information Sciences

219 degrees · 68.7%

Typical career outcomes

Software Developer $132k Data Scientist $108k Information Security Analyst $120k Web Developer $85k

High-paying tech roles dominate. Median software roles cluster in the $90k-$130k range.

2. Education

36 degrees · 11.3%

Typical career outcomes

Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k

Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.

3. Business, Management, & Marketing

28 degrees · 8.8%

Typical career outcomes

Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k

Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.

4. Liberal Arts, Humanities, & General Studies

19 degrees · 6.0%

Typical career outcomes

Management Analyst $99k Marketing Specialist $75k HR Specialist $68k

Flexible degree → many paths. Real outcomes depend on the second skill (data, coding, teaching cert).

5. Parks, Recreation, Leisure, & Fitness

17 degrees · 5.3%

Typical career outcomes

Athletic Trainer $58k Fitness Trainer / Coach $46k Recreation Director $65k

Coaching, athletic training, public-sector recreation, fitness industry.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Dakota State University

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP)	Credential	Cohort	1-yr earnings	4-yr earnings
Computer and Information Sciences, General.	Bachelor's Degree	55	$61,287	$85,696
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management.	Bachelor's Degree	117	$58,166	$78,637
Business Administration, Management and Operations.	Bachelor's Degree	15	$44,748	$69,841
Information Science/Studies.	Bachelor's Degree	14	$63,636	$56,991
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.	Bachelor's Degree	19	$46,627	$48,997
Special Education and Teaching.	Bachelor's Degree	22	$42,318	$46,095
Computer Software and Media Applications.	Bachelor's Degree	34	$26,379	$42,513

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Dakota State University

AI degrees (annual)

1

CIP 11.0102

CS degrees (annual)

123

CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Dakota State University vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Dakota State University

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options

These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Dakota State University doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.

University of Alabama in Huntsville

AL · Public

39 auto-merit scholarships on file

Texas Tech University

TX · Public

31 auto-merit scholarships on file

The University of Alabama

AL · Public

23 auto-merit scholarships on file

Mississippi State University

MS · Public

19 auto-merit scholarships on file