Founded in 1901, Northern State University is located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. It has been named as one of the best public regional bachelor’s college in the Midwest for 8 consecutive years as per the ranking of the U.S. News and World Report. Currently, the university is offering 59 majors, 46 minors and 6 pre-professional programs to nearly 3500 students. The NSU’s Wolf PACT scholarship is the largest scholarship offered in the Midwest. The NSU campus is one of the most beautiful in the region.

Rankings

U.S. News Rank 2023:

  • #84 in Regional Universities Midwest
  • #88 in Top Performers on Social Mobility
  • #18 in Top Public School

Campus

  • The NSU campus comprises historic buildings, modern facilities, green space which makes it one of the most beautiful region. It is also a small and safe campus with a very low crime rate.
  • There are more than 50 active clubs and organizations of the students on campus.
  • There are several opportunities for students on campus like art galleries, Student Center, library, Barnett Center for work out etc.
  • The Barnett Center is an 8000 seat facility for athletics with an arena, pool, indoor track, volleyball, handball, etc.
  • The Dacotah Hall houses various administrative offices like Registrar’s office, financial aid office, academic support service, student center, etc.
  • There is a technology center on campus that comprises 3 computer labs, 2 smart classrooms, fully equipped TV studio, media center, conference room and office of the Technology staff and arts and science faculty.

Residence

  • There are 2 styles of residence halls on the Northern State University – traditional halls and suite-style halls.
  • New residence halls equipped with modern amenities that have been opened in the last few years are Wolves Memorial Suites, Great Plains West and Great Plains East. Other residence halls are McArthur-Welsh hall, Kramer hall and Briscoe hall.
  • Traditional halls provide accommodation on a single and double sharing basis.
  • Suite-style halls have spaces for 2-4 students sharing. Common amenities include a bathroom with a shower, mini-fridge, and microwave.

Programs

  • The Northern State University offers 50+ undergraduate, graduate, associate, certificate, pre-professional and online degrees to students through various schools and colleges.
  • The various schools and colleges of NSU are College of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Education and School of Fine Arts.
  • Classes are conducted in a student-faculty ratio of 20:1 which comprises 80% faculty with Ph. D. Programs are designed to provide students real-world experiences through internship opportunities.
  • The University offers programs in Art, Business, music, and teacher education are nationally accredited.
  • The Confucius Institute is a part of NSU that helps students in South Dakota to learn Mandarin Chinese.

Application Process

  • Application Portal: Online application portal
  • Application Fee: 20 USD (non-refundable)
  • Student Class profile:
  • Total enrollment – 3500
  • International students from 42 countries
  • Standardized test scores of SAT/ ACT are required for evaluation of the admission application. Average SAT score – 970 or above (School code – 6487); Average ACT score – 18 or above (School code – 3169)
  • High school GPA – 2.6 on 4.0; College GPA – 2.75 on 4.0
  • English proficiency test scores – International students must take English proficiency tests and get their scores sent to the university from the testing center itself. The minimum requirements of these test scores are:
Exam Undergraduate Graduate
TOEFL IBT 61-70 79
TOEFL PBT - 550
IELTS 5.5 6
  • Supporting Documents to be submitted with the admission application for evaluation include official high school transcript indicating class rank and cumulative GPA or GED, test scores of English proficiency tests like TOEFL/IELTS/ACT/ SAT scores and compliance with student visa eligibility requirements.

Cost of Attendance

Undergraduate students

Expense Estimated Cost 2023-24
Tuition 10,611 USD
Fees 1211 USD
Room 3787 USD
Meal Plan 3924 USD

Graduate students

Expense Estimated Cost 2023-24
Tuition (18 credit hour) 11088 USD
Fees 726 USD
Total 11,814 USD

Financial Aid for International Students

  • 82% of the students receive financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study programs.
  • The university spends 16.2 million USD annually to provide financial aid to students. Most of the scholarships are awarded on the basis of need.
  • Students must complete FAFSA by March 1 to be considered for financial aid.
  • The following table presents some scholarships awarded by the University:
Name of scholarship Eligibility Amount awarded
Wolf Pact Scholarship Freshman students enrolled full-time.
Minimum 3.0 GPA		 Up to 12000 USD
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship Must be in top 4 of the class with an average GPA of B++ Up to 7500 USD
Freeman Foundation Fellowship Minimum 2.8 GPA
Completed FAFSA		 3000-7000 USD
Gilman Scholarship Must receive a Federal Pell Grant.
Must be studying abroad for 4 weeks.		 5000 USD
Hollings Scholarship Must be in 2nd year or 4-year institution.
Minimum 3.0 GPA		 8000 USD

Alumni

  • Notable alumni of the University are Bryan DeBates – Vice President Education for Space Foundation, Carolyn Thompson – public speaker, Dr. Rochelle Nolte – a physician with U.S. Public Health Service, Christopher Maunu – Director of Choral Activities at Arvada West High School and many others.

Placements

  • The NSU Career Services Center is dedicated to helping students explore their career options and employment opportunities.
  • Wolf Work is NSU’s online job posting database which is available to all students as well as alumni.
  • 96% of the graduates of NSU were employed within 6 months of graduation within 6 months.
  • Statistics also show that 47% of the students were hired even before graduation.
  • In the previous years, more than 150 employers visited campus for recruiting students.