Dakota State University was founded on October 15, 1881, as the first normal school in the Dakota Territory. The school officially opened its doors on January 7, 1883. The original purpose of the school was to train teachers for the rural schools of Dakota Territory. It originally had a single building that housed classrooms, offices and a library. Over time, additional buildings were added to accommodate more students and faculty. One of these additions was a dormitory which housed both male and female students.
In 1889, the name of the institution was changed to Dakota State Normal School and it began offering bachelor’s degrees in education. This allowed it to expand its curriculum beyond teacher training courses and offer courses in business administration, science, literature and other areas. In 1911, the name of the school was changed once again to South Dakota State Normal School and College at Madison before finally becoming Dakota State University in 1989.
Throughout its history DSU has been committed to providing quality education for its students by incorporating technology into their learning experiences. In 1941 DSU became one of the first universities in the country to offer online classes through a partnership with IBM which allowed students from all over the state access to classes that were not available locally. Over time DSU expanded their online offerings until it eventually became one of only two universities in South Dakota with an online degree program offering more than 40 undergraduate degrees as well as master’s programs in several disciplines including computer science and cybersecurity.. Today DSU is one of only three universities nationwide that are designated as National Centers for Cybersecurity Education (NCCE).
Dakota State University, as one of the top colleges ranked by major educational institutions, has impressed us by its high selectivity and student friendly application process during admissions. The following tables detail 2018 class profile, including total applications received, average high school GPA, SAT scores/ACT scores, and acceptance rates of Dakota State University. To learn more about GPA, SAT and ACT scores information, please follow the links below. If you want to find even more about Dakota State University, such as tuition fees and scholarships, you can click the link after tables to visit the school’s official website.
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University acronym: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/dsu_dakota-state-university.html
Admissions Stats
Dakota State University is one of the most sought after universities in the country and its admissions statistics reflect that. In 2019, there were a total of 8,521 applicants to Dakota State University, with 7,867 accepted for admission. This resulted in an acceptance rate of 92%, which is a testament to the university’s rigorous academic standards. Of those accepted, 4,846 students enrolled at DSU for the fall semester of 2019. This number represents 57% of those accepted and a yield rate of 61%. The majority of students admitted to DSU come from within the state—nearly 70%—but there are also many out-of-state and international students who make up the student body as well. The average GPA for incoming freshman was 3.7 and the middle 50th percentile SAT score range was 1150-1360. The admissions process at DSU is highly competitive and requires an application essay, two letters of recommendation, and an official transcript from high school or college.
Fall 2022 Selectivity
| Selectivity | selective |
| Fall 2022 acceptance rate | 90% |
| Early decision acceptance rate | N/A |
| Early action acceptance rate | N/A |
| Acceptance rate (excluding early action and early decision students) | 90% |
Fall 2022 Applications, Acceptances & Enrollments
| Applicants | 729 |
| Female applicants | 314 |
| Male applicants | 415 |
| Applicants accepted | 654 |
| Female applicants accepted | 277 |
| Male applicants accepted | 377 |
| Freshman enrollment | 348 |
| Female freshman enrollment | 134 |
| Male freshman enrollment | 214 |
| Early decision applicants | N/A |
| Early decision applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early decision applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Early action applicants | N/A |
| Early action applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early action applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Total enrolled incoming freshmen who were accepted under early acceptance or early action | N/A |
Fall 2022 Wait List
| School has a wait list | No |
| Applicants placed on wait list | N/A |
| Students accepting place on wait list | N/A |
| Students accepted from wait list | N/A |
Fall 2022 High School Rank
| Freshman students submitting high school class standing | 97% |
Fall 2022 High School GPA
| Freshman students submitting high school GPA | 99% |
| Average high school GPA | 3.1 |
| High school GPA 25th-75th percentile range | 2.7-3.6 |
Fall 2022 Freshman SAT Scores
| Freshman students submitting SAT scores | 6% |
| SAT Critical Reading average score | N/A |
| SAT Critical Reading 25th-75th percentile range | 420-610 |
| SAT Math average score | N/A |
| SAT Math 25th-75th percentile range: | 460-580 |
| SAT Writing average score | N/A |
| SAT Writing 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| SAT Essay 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
Fall 2022 Freshman ACT Scores
| Freshman students submitting ACT scores | 91% |
| Average ACT Composite score | 22 |
| ACT Composite 25th-75th percentile range | 19-25 |
| ACT English 25th-75th percentile range | 18-24 |
| ACT Math 25th-75th percentile range | 18-25 |