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University or college · Private nonprofit

Dakota Wesleyan University

Mitchell, SD67 online only

Dakota Wesleyan University is a private nonprofit university in Mitchell, SD, with about 819 students on campus.

Visit www.dwu.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
819
plus 67 studying only online
Admission rate
73%
lower than at 58% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$19,735
lower than at 51% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
48%
lower than at 64% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$53,728
higher than at 77% of U.S. colleges
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Dakota Wesleyan University?

73%

of applicants admitted

About 15 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

No SAT or ACT ranges reported. Dakota Wesleyan University is likely test-optional.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $43,864 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $33,790Room & board $8,100Books & supplies $1,500

After grants, the average family on aid pays $19,735.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$15,927

About $63,708 over 4 years · 64% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
48%
within 6 years · Pell students 47%
Come back for year two
75%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$53,728
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$27,000
about $286 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

6.9%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$286 a month against about $4,119 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

70%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 87% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$46k
Middle income$30–75k
$55k
Higher incomeover $75k
$57k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 29%Health professions 24%Education 19%Public safety 8%Biology 5%Parks, recreation & fitness 4%Everything else 12%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing35 graduates a year · typical debt $24,855
$77k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations23 graduates a year
—not reported
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods17 graduates a year
—not reported
Psychology, General17 graduates a year
—not reported
Biology, General8 graduates a year
—not reported
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness7 graduates a year
$29k1 yr out
Accounting and Related Services6 graduates a year
—not reported
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology5 graduates a year
—not reported
Who goes there

The students

670 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 80%Hispanic 7%Black 2%Two or more 5%International 3%

Women and men

Women 50%Men 50%
12 : 1
students per teacher
27%
get Pell grants (lower income)
73%
take federal loans
10%
undergrads 25 or older
4%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Mitchell

3% of Mitchell’s 15,756 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Mitchell pages.

Mitchell →
$851/momedian rent · 10% below the state$252Ktypical home valueCSafety Grade8° / 86°January low / July high · 41" of snowBHealth GradeAll colleges in and near MitchellCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Dakota Wesleyan University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Mitchell Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mitchell
1.6 mi936 students

Ask around

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Start the conversation

Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.