Northern State University

Public · Moderately Selective · SD

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationSD · Midwest

SettingRural

Undergrads1,273

Student:faculty19:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate34.5%

6-yr grad rate48.9%

Drop-out rate23%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$9k

Out-of-state tuition$12k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity21.3%

Gender diversity57%

International2.3%

Identity—

Overview

Northern State University is a public university in Aberdeen, South Dakota, serving the surrounding prairie region with a small, affordable college experience. It has built a specific niche in banking and financial services education that ties directly into the state's finance industry.

Academics

The banking and financial services program is the university's signature academic identity, benefiting from South Dakota's status as a hub for credit card and financial services companies, and it feeds graduates directly into that industry. Education and music are also long-standing strong programs, with small class sizes across the university keeping instruction personal.

Campus & student life

Northern State's campus green anchors one of the state's more notable marching-arts traditions, and the Aberdeen setting gives the university a quiet, prairie-town backdrop rather than a big-city one. Its size keeps the community tight-knit and familiar.

northern.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate93%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 980–1160 · ACT 18–24

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying