Northern State University
Aberdeen, SD · Public
Navora's full analysis of Northern State University — where an applicant's profile stands against the published cohort, requirements tracking, essays and deadlines — is free with an account.
See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
Northern State University admitted 93.0% of applicants university-wide (1,010 of 1,086).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 93.0% | 1,010 | 1,086 |
| Men | 89.2% | 398 | 446 |
| Women | 95.6% | 612 | 640 |
Of 1,010 admitted students, 356 enrolled (35.2% yield).
Northern State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 980–1160
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 18–24
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.00–3.74
Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)
Northern State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $27,947/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $11,947 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $16,000 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $27,947/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $10,762 |
| $30k–48k | $12,087 |
| $48k–75k | $15,293 |
| $75k–110k | $18,372 |
| Over $110k | $17,933 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Loren E. Lomis Music Scholarship — Varies (Departmental)
- Maroon and Gold Scholarship — Varies (Other)
- WolfPACT Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
- WolfPACT Unleashed Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- Loren E. Lomis Music Scholarship — Varies (Departmental)
- Maroon and Gold Scholarship — Varies (Other)
- WolfPACT Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
- WolfPACT Unleashed Scholarship — Varies (Merit)
Northern State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- Official transcript
- Test scores (SAT/ACT) (optional)
- Letters of recommendation (recommended)
- Supplemental essays (recommended)
- Application fee
International applicants
- Official transcript
- Test scores (SAT/ACT) (optional)
- Letters of recommendation (recommended)
- Supplemental essays (recommended)
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
- Application fee
Northern State University Common Data Set · Application requirements
Essay prompts
Northern State University requires no supplemental essays.
Prompts from the Own portal member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $47,618
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 48.9%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 77%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $22,320
- At graduation
Northern State University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (21%), Biological & life sciences (18%), Psychology (8%).
Student–faculty ratio: 17:1 · 52% of class sections have under 20 students.
Northern State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.