Northern State University
Aberdeen, South Dakota · Also known as NSU · Website
$47,618
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$47,618
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Northern State University is a public 4-year college in Aberdeen, South Dakota with 1,273 undergraduates and 539 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $15,812 a year (tuition and fees $8,845 in-state, $11,947 out-of-state). It admits 93% of applicants and 49% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $47,618 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $22,320 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$15,812
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$8,845
Out-of-state $11,947
Admission rate
93%
US median 78%
Completion rate
49%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$22,320
About $237 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$47,618
Rank 1,692 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $15,812
- Tuition in-state
- $8,845
- Tuition out-of-state
- $11,947
- Cost of attendance
- $22,077
- Students with a need-based grant
- 12%
- Students with federal loans
- 22%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $10,762
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $12,087
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $15,293
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $18,372
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $17,933
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $7,887 in 2015-16 to $8,845 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 93%
- Average SAT
- 1,089
- SAT reading, middle
- 565
- SAT math, middle
- 540
- ACT, middle
- 21
- Undergraduates
- 1,273
- Graduate students
- 539
- Part-time students
- 18%
- Women
- 57%
- Students per teacher
- 19
- Completion rate
- 49%
- Retention rate
- 77%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 70
- Endowment
- $56.1M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,692 of 5,094 US colleges and 10 of 21 in South Dakota (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | SD median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $15,812 | $18,146 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $8,845 | $8,845 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 93% | 85% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 49% | 54% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 77% | 78% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $22,320 | $23,250 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $41,536 | $43,427 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $47,618 | $46,709 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 65% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 71% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
70 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curriculum and InstructionOnlineMaster's | Master's | 46 | Withheld | $51,127 | $49,669 | $63,399 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 35 | $20,500 | $46,042 | $44,147 | $47,382 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | $24,150 | $40,123 | $53,484 | $54,562 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,389 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $23,000 | $43,667 | $56,571 | $68,257 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasOnlineMaster's | Master's | 24 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Accounting and Related ServicesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 20 | $25,000 | $51,239 | $67,072 | $76,194 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 18 | $21,862 | Withheld | $70,545 | $57,214 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | Withheld | Withheld | $45,921 | $50,706 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | $50,765 | $52,657 |
| Special Education and TeachingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,499 |
| Educational Administration and SupervisionOnlineMaster's | Master's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $71,685 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,125 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,680 |
| Biology, GeneralCertificate | Certificate | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $52,278 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,590 |
| BiotechnologyAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $53,595 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessMaster's | Master's | 8 | Withheld | $40,724 | Withheld | $62,033 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,733 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | $47,781 | $48,324 | $83,343 |
| MarketingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | $23,250 | $45,891 | Withheld | $69,303 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 6 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,471 |
| Applied MathematicsOnlineMaster's | Master's | 6 | - | - | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Aberdeen and South Dakota on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in South Dakota
- Homes: Homes for sale in South Dakota
Questions and answers
How much does Northern State University cost?
$15,812 a year is the average net price at Northern State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $8,845 for in-state students and $11,947 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $22,077. Families earning under $30,000 pay $10,762 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Northern State University?
93% of applicants are admitted to Northern State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,089 and the middle ACT score is 21. The median admission rate of colleges in South Dakota is 85%.
How much do Northern State University graduates earn?
$47,618 a year is the median pay of former Northern State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($41,536 after 6 years). That ranks 1,692 of 5,094 US colleges and 10 of 21 in South Dakota. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's) at $51,239.
How much student debt do Northern State University graduates have?
$22,320 is the median federal student loan debt of Northern State University graduates, about $237 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 22% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Northern State University?
49% of first-time, full-time students at Northern State University finish within 6 years. 77% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Northern State University?
Curriculum and Instruction (46 master's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (35 bachelor's graduates), Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness (30 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 70 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.