Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for University of South Dakota, Eastern Michigan University, University of North Dakota. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | South DakotaVermillion, SD | Eastern MichiganYpsilanti, MI | North DakotaGrand Forks, ND |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 98.8% | 79.6% | 76.9% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1125–1315 | 920–1170 | Not reportedUniversity of North Dakota reports that it neither requires nor recommends admissions test scores, and does not report a score range to the Department of Education. |
| Average net price | $19,85818.7% on Pell grants | $15,40736.6% on Pell grants | $18,55117.2% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $9,432 in-state · $12,942 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $16,240 in-state · $16,240 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $10,951 in-state · $15,570 outMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 59.9% | 46.4% | 60.5% |
| First-year retention | 79.3% | 68.8% | 84.0% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 18.7% | 36.6% | 17.2% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $51,926 | $51,793 | $63,552 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,592 | $25,000 | $22,057 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 14:1 | 15:1 | 17:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,439 | 10,055 | 9,981 |
| Consensus percentile | 55Lower is better | 60Lower is better | 49Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 59 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 51 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 57 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | South Dakota | Eastern Michigan | North Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #283 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #373 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #242 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 |
| Forbes | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | #296 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #1204 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #563 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #1036 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | Not ranked by this source | #420 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
| Niche | #539 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #892 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #302 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing University of South Dakota on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Eastern Michigan University on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing University of North Dakota on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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