Public Bachelor's Strong 71/100

Sisseton Wahpeton College

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

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Sisseton, South Dakota

About Sisseton Wahpeton College

Thinking about Sisseton Wahpeton College, a college in South Dakota where more students graduate in Liberal Arts 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.

Sisseton Wahpeton College is a public institution offering bachelor's degrees based in Sisseton, South Dakota. It enrolls 194 students (a very small, intimate 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
—
Graduation
—
Net Price
$2,977
Median Earnings (10yr)
$31,546
Enrollment
194
Student : Faculty
7:1

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 Open / Online), 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.

Strong
71/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 17
Value 96
Affordability 89
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Sisseton Wahpeton College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

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 $2,977 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. 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
$2,977
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
64%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
0%
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
$4,330
Room & Board (on-campus)
$3,500
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,000
Books & Supplies
$1,300
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,500
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,000
Total Cost of Attendance
$9,998

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
    $590
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $5,909
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $5,315
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $7,871
What this means: Aid reaches a meaningful share of the student body: 64% of students receive Pell grants. If your family qualifies for Pell, the real cost to you could be substantially lower than the average.

Graduation Rate & Retention

Sisseton Wahpeton College has not reported completion figures. That is common for smaller and newer schools, but it is worth asking directly how many students finish, because a degree you do not complete still has to be paid for.

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
—
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
—
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $31,546 a year, below the national median. Weigh that against the cost above before taking on debt here. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$31,546
Earning > $25K
52%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$23,000$25,000$28,000$30,000$33,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs
What this means: Strong return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$10.6 of median earnings 10 years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 194 students, an intimate, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 52% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
194
Part-Time
25%
First-Generation
52%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Other 95.4% 185
Black 2.6% 5
White 1.6% 3
Hispanic 0.5% 1
Other: 95.4% (185 students)Black: 2.6% (5 students)White: 1.6% (3 students)Hispanic: 0.5% (1 students)Total194

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Sisseton Wahpeton College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Remote Sisseton, South Dakota
Housing
Partly residential 39 beds available
Adult Learners
57% 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 Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Sisseton Wahpeton College offers a focused set of programs: 9 distinct programs across 8 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.

1 Program
1 Program
2 Programs
1 Program
1 Program
1 Program
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 7 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
7:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Instruction / Student
$6,603
Annual instructional spending per enrolled student
Endowment
$1.1M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$49,603
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

13 instructional faculty across 1 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
Instructors 13 100% $53,269

Pros & Cons of Sisseton Wahpeton College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Sisseton Wahpeton College 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
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Below-average post-graduation earnings
  • No graduate programs offered at this institution
  • Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for: Based on the data, Sisseton Wahpeton College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sisseton Wahpeton College

The questions families ask most about Sisseton Wahpeton College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

How much does Sisseton Wahpeton College cost?
Budget around $2,977 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 Sisseton Wahpeton College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: strong return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $31,546 a year against a net price of $2,977, about 10.6 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 Sisseton Wahpeton College known for?
Mostly Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Behavioral Sciences. 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 Sisseton Wahpeton College graduates earn?
About $31,546 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 Sisseton Wahpeton College accredited?
Yes. Sisseton Wahpeton College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Sisseton Wahpeton College?
194 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Sisseton Wahpeton College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Sisseton Wahpeton College located?
Sisseton Wahpeton College is located in Sisseton, South Dakota.
What programs does Sisseton Wahpeton College offer?
9 different programs, most commonly Liberal Arts, Business Administration, Behavioral Sciences. 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 Sisseton Wahpeton College?
7 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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