Public Graduate Good 64/100

Dickinson State University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Dickinson, North Dakota

About Dickinson State University

Thinking about Dickinson State University, a college in North Dakota where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Dickinson State University is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Dickinson, North Dakota. It enrolls 1,090 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
37%
Graduation
42.7%
Net Price
$14,092
Median Earnings (10yr)
$50,720
Enrollment
1,090
Student : Faculty
13:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
64/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 24
Value 77
Affordability 50
Selectivity 49

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Dickinson State University admits 37% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.

Acceptance Rate
37%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Dickinson State University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Getting more selective ↓ 39.7 pts since 2019
99.7%201998.6%202099.3%202172%202260%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $14,092 a year on average, it sits below what public colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$14,092
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
21%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
34%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$9,118
Room & Board (on-campus)
$8,564
Room & Board (off-campus)
$8,564
Books & Supplies
$1,200
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,770
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,770
Total Cost of Attendance
$20,567

Application fee: $35 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $10,479
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $8,094
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $12,985
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $15,484
  • Over $110,000
    $16,922

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$2,750
10% percentile
$5,250
25% percentile
$18,442
Median percentile
$19,000
75% percentile
$27,800
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $12,744 ↓ $5,698
No Pell $10,842 ↓ $7,600
Dependent students $10,684 ↓ $7,758
Independent students $14,250 ↓ $4,192
Female students $12,197 ↓ $6,245
Male students $10,385 ↓ $8,057
Pell recipients: 17.9% (3,305 students)No Pell: 15.2% (2,812 students)Dependent students: 15.0% (2,771 students)Independent students: 20.0% (3,696 students)Female students: 17.2% (3,164 students)Male students: 14.6% (2,694 students)Overall Median$18,442
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,550, less than completers ($18,442), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

43% of students who start here finish within six years, and 64% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
43%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
64%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $50,720 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$50,720
Earning > $25K
76%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$48,500$49,000$49,500$50,500$51,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$36,600

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$65,700

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$41,400

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$49,800

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$58,600

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $29,100, about 44% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 8.8 pts across 6 years
86%1yr87.8%3yr90.7%5yr94.8%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 95% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,090 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 31% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
1,090
Part-Time
17%
First-Generation
31%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 76.7% 836
Other 9.2% 100
Hispanic 6.5% 71
Black 2.8% 30
International 2.0% 22
Asian 1.4% 15
White: 76.7% (836 students)Other: 9.2% (100 students)Hispanic: 6.5% (71 students)Black: 2.8% (30 students)International: 2.0% (22 students)Asian: 1.4% (15 students)Total1,090

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Dickinson State University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Town: Remote Dickinson, North Dakota
Housing
Partly residential 383 beds available
Adult Learners
15% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Education graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Dickinson State University offers a varied set of programs: 34 distinct programs across 17 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

8 Programs
3 Programs
3 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$11,458
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$19M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$66,050
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

58 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 10 17% $91,035
Associate Professors 10 17% $70,128
Assistant Professors 31 53% $60,699
Instructors 7 12% $48,228

Pros & Cons of Dickinson State University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Dickinson State University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Selective admissions, solid academic profile expected
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
  • Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for: Based on the data, Dickinson State University is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Dickinson State University

The questions families ask most about Dickinson State University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Dickinson State University hard to get into?
Dickinson State University is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 37%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at Dickinson State University?
37% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Dickinson State University cost?
Budget around $14,092 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Dickinson State University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $50,720 a year against a net price of $14,092, about 3.6 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Dickinson State University known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Human Resources, Nursing. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Dickinson State University graduates earn?
About $50,720 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Dickinson State University accredited?
Yes. Dickinson State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Dickinson State University?
1,090 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Dickinson State University?
43% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Dickinson State University a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Dickinson State University located?
Dickinson State University is located in Dickinson, North Dakota.
What programs does Dickinson State University offer?
34 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Human Resources, Nursing. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Dickinson State University?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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