| Location: | Midwest |
| Setting: | Small Town Setting |
| Type: | Public |
| Size: | Medium (2,000 to 5,000 Undergrad) |
| Nickname: | NSU |
Northern State University (NSU) is a four-year public university located in Aberdeen, South Dakota. NSU is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents and offers 38 majors and 42 minors, as well as six associate, eight pre-professional and nine graduate degrees.
Founded on the intersection of the southern and eastern branches of the Milwaukee Railroad, Aberdeen, South Dakota saw a rapid growth in its population during the late nineteenth century; this rapid growth led the citizens of northern South Dakota to push for a government-funded institute of higher learning. During the 1855 legislative session a bill was passed creating the University of Central Dakota to be located in the small town of Ordway, however, funds were not approved for the school until the 1857 legislative session.2 Even though the funds had been approved the bill had been vetoed by Governor Louis K. Church for financial considerations and the statewide lack of support; it would take a few more decades before the school became a reality.
In 1900 Aberdeen had the fastest growing population in northern South Dakota and supporters for the school began to organize in greater numbers. On January 7, 1899, Senator Lawson, often thought to be the father of the Northern Normal and Industrial School, proposed a bill for the creation of the school in Aberdeen; the bill went through many revisions and it would not be until March 2, 1899 that the new school would exist on paper; however both a site and funding were still needed. 4
Wealthy Aberdonians quickly responded and started to donate their land for the school; responding to the demand to pick a site, the Aberdeen City Council created a committee of twenty-five individuals responsible for choosing the location. The committee was composed of the well-to-do individuals of Aberdeen, including Ira Barnes, W.F.T Bushnell, C.F. Easton, F.W. Brooks, Ed Askew, B.C. Lamont, William Tennant, W.G Bickellhaupt, James Lawson, and Andrew Melgaard. 2 The committee met through most of the early months of 1899 and adjourned in late spring before any decision was made. By late 1899 Governor Andrew E. Lee made the decision to use the land, just south of city limits, donated by Andrew Melgaard; however, the northern border of Melgaard’s land did not extend all the way to Twelfth Avenue as Governor Lee had wanted; the land between Melgaard’s northern border and Twelfth Avenue was owned by D.C and W.R Thomas of Watertown. In order for the state to receive the land as a donation, the committee had to pay Melgaard and the Thomases for their land. On November 10, the Thomases sold the two half-blocks in question to the state of South Dakota for one dollar and Andrew Melgaard received thirteen hundred for his twenty acre plot of land.2 Now the state was left with the task of funding the construction of the new school.
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| Percent of Students International: | 2% |
| On-Campus Housing Available: | Yes |
| Percent of Students Living On-Campus: | 39% |
| Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: | Yes |
| Member of: | NAA, NCAA |
| Sports Include: |
Football (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) Basketball (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) Baseball (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) Track (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) |
| Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) | In-State | Out-of-State | |
Published Tuition and Fees: |
$ 4,699 | $ 9,687 | |
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 2,290 | $ 7,278 | |
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads: |
$ 2,409 | $ 2,409 | |
| Financial Aid | Avg. Amount Received | % of Students Receiving Aid | |
Federal Grants: |
$ 3,189 | 38% | |
State and Local Grants: |
$ 1,586 | 40% | |
Institutional Grants: |
$ 1,134 | 52% | |
Student Loans: |
$ 4,143 | 76% | |
Any Aid: |
93% |
| Acceptance Rate: | 95% (Selective) |
| Test Scores | |
| SAT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting SAT Scores: | 3% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Verbal: 410, Math: 450 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Verbal: 530, Math: 570 |
| ACT Scores: | |
| % of Students Submitting ACT Scores: | 92% |
| Bottom 25th Percentile: | Composite: 17, Verbal: 16, Math: 17 |
| Top 75th Percentile: | Composite: 23, Verbal: 23, Math: 23 |
| Application Fee: | $ 15.00 |
| Formal Demonstration of Competencies: | Not Required |
| High School Diploma or Equivalent: | Required |
| High School GPA: | Required |
| High School Rank: | Required |
| High School Record: | Required |
| Recommendations: | Not Required |
| TOEFL: | Required |
| Test Scores: | Required |
