Dakota Wesleyan University Rankings

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Ranking Category
#6196 of 14,131 In the World
#1711 of 2,597 In North America
#1624 of 2,496 In the United States
#10 of 15 In South Dakota

Quick Review

Religion
United Methodist
Acceptance rate
73%
Avg. cost to attend
$22,990 /y
Aid receiving
100%
Undergraduates
771
Graduates
121
Male:Female Ratio
47:53
Control
Private
not-for-profit
Highest Degree
Post-master's certificate
Website
www.dwu.edu

Dakota Wesleyan University Acceptance rate and admissions statistics

Dakota Wesleyan University has an acceptance rate of 73% and is among the top 37% of the most difficult universities to gain admission to in the United States. The university reports the admission statistics without distinguishing between local and international students.

Total Men Women
Acceptance Rate 73% 75% 70%
Applicants 1,247 706 499
Admissions 915 531 350
Freshmen enrolled full time 192 112 80

231 students enrolled in some distance education courses.

120 enrolled exclusively in distance education.

Admissions requirements

Secondary school GPA Required
Secondary school record Required
TOEFL Required
College-preparatory program Neither required nor recommended
Formal demonstration of competencies Neither required nor recommended
Other Tests Neither required nor recommended
Recommendations Neither required nor recommended
SAT/ACT Neither required nor recommended
Secondary school rank Neither required nor recommended

Enrollment demographics by race or ethnicity

White 730 (83%)
Hispanic 57 (6%)
Two or more races 43 (5%)
Nonresident Alien 24 (3%)
Black or African American 18 (2%)
Asian 6 (0.7%)
Race or Ethnicity unknown 4 (0.5%)
American Indian or Alaska Native 2 (0.2%)

Costs per year: Tuition, Housing, Fees

The average net cost to attend Dakota Wesleyan University is $22,990 per year, calculated as the sum of the average cost of tuition, room and board, books, and supplies, reduced by the amount of average financial aid received.

The final cost of attendance varies for each student based on household income, residency, program, and other factors.

Net average cost to attend
$22,990/year
Average aid awarded
$20,910
Students receiving aid
100%

Average costs by household income

<$30K $15,251
$30-48K $15,750
$48-75K $15,927
$75-110K $19,048
$110K+ $22,416

Tuition and fees

UndergraduatesGraduates
Tuition in-district $32,500$15,300
Tuition in-state $32,500$15,300
Tuition out-of-state $32,500$15,300
Fee in-district $1,290
Fee in-state $1,290
Fee out-of-state $1,290

Room and board costs

Dormitory capacity 520
Combined charge for room and board $8,550
Room charge $3,650
Meal charge $4,900

Dakota Wesleyan University majors

Dakota Wesleyan University has granted 154 bachelor's degrees across 25 programs and 64 master's across 5 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at Dakota Wesleyan University.

Major Associate Bachelor Master
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other 46
Registered Nursing & Registered Nurse 42
Business Administration and Management, General 5 14
Elementary Education and Teaching 12
Biochemistry 10
Education, General 5 5
Entrepreneurship & Entrepreneurial Studies 10
Digital Arts 9
Criminal Justice & Safety Studies 8
Athletic Training & Trainer 6
Exercise Science and Kinesiology 6
Biology & Biological Sciences, General 5
Organizational Leadership 5
Curriculum and Instruction 4
History Teacher Education 4
Accounting 3
English & Language Arts Teacher Education 3
Higher Education & Higher Education Administration 3
Psychology, General 3
Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management 3
General Studies 2
Liberal Arts and Sciences & Liberal Studies 2
Music, General 2
Speech Communication and Rhetoric 2
Behavioral Sciences 1
Drama and Dramatics & Theatre Arts, General 1
History, General 1
Human Services, General 1
Non-Profit & Public & Organizational Management 1
Special Education and Teaching, General 1
Grand Total 7 154 64

Dakota Wesleyan University has a graduation rate of 48%, which is among the 38% lowest for universities in the US.

Total Men Women
Graduation rate 48% 43% 53%
  • Full-time retention rate - 75%

Publications & Citations

Dakota Wesleyan University has published 109 scientific papers with 467 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Biology, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Political Science, Medicine, Sociology, Chemistry, Law, and Psychology.

Publications
109
Citations
467

Publication / Citation count by topic

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
66 / 289
Biology
51 / 337
Computer Science
40 / 280
Environmental Science
40 / 224
Political Science
35 / 41
Medicine
33 / 204
Sociology
33 / 185
Chemistry
32 / 142
Law
31 / 34
Psychology
28 / 157
Geography and Cartography
26 / 109
Philosophy
26 / 82
Physics
25 / 166
Biochemistry
25 / 139
Ecology
24 / 182
Mathematics
24 / 206
Genetics
23 / 110
History
21 / 66
Math Teachers
20 / 116
Library and Information science
19 / 154
Engineering
18 / 89
Geology
17 / 151
Paleontology
16 / 151
Botany
15 / 137
Education Majors
15 / 112
Archaeology
14 / 53
Organic Chemistry
13 / 38
Economics
12 / 74
Astrophysics and Astronomy
11 / 124
Quantum and Particle physics
10 / 36
Business
9 / 40
Linguistics
9 / 11
Pathology
9 / 86
Development Studies
8 / 16
Forestry
8 / 13
Art & Design
8 / 16
Neuroscience
8 / 43
Wildlife and Fisheries Management & Conservation
7 / 43
Demography
7 / 57
Agricultural Science
7 / 37

Annual publication & citation counts

Year Publications Citations
1993 1 8
1994 0 1
1995 0 5
1996 1 4
1997 0 2
1998 1 0
1999 0 3
2000 0 1
2001 1 4
2002 0 3
2003 0 3
2004 1 1
2005 0 2
2006 1 5
2007 1 7
2008 0 15
2009 1 2
2010 5 8
2011 1 6
2012 1 7
2013 4 8
2014 5 10
2015 5 13
2016 0 12
2017 5 13
2018 5 15
2019 9 18
2020 7 22
2021 3 36
2022 3 20
2023 1 41
2024 4 44
2025 4 48

Dakota Wesleyan University alumni

  1. George McGovern

    George McGovern
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1922-2012 (aged 90)
    Enrolled in Dakota Wesleyan University
    1940-1946 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
    Occupations
    autobiographeruniversity teacherpeace activistpoliticianhistorian
    Biography

    George Stanley McGovern was an American politician, diplomat, and historian from South Dakota who served in both chambers of the United States Congress as a member of the United States House of Representatives for two terms representing South Dakota's 1st congressional district from 1957 to 1961, the director of Food for Peace in 1961 and 1962 under John F. Kennedy, and a member of the United States Senate for three terms from 1963 to 1981, and was the Democratic Party presidential nominee in the 1972 U.S. presidential election.

  2. Eleanor McGovern

    Eleanor McGovern
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1921-2007 (aged 86)
    Enrolled in Dakota Wesleyan University
    Studied in 1940
    Occupations
    politician
    Biography

    Eleanor Fay McGovern was the wife of George McGovern, who served as a U.S. Senator from South Dakota from 1963 to 1981, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1972.

  3. Jonathan Bane

    Jonathan Bane
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1991-.. (age 35)
    Occupations
    American football player
    Biography

    Jonathan Bane is an American former professional football quarterback. He is the head coach for the San Antonio Gunslingers of the Indoor Football League (IFL). He played college football at Dakota Wesleyan.

  4. Vera C. Bushfield

    Vera C. Bushfield
    Born in
    United States Flag United States
    Years
    1889-1976 (aged 87)
    Occupations
    politician
    Biography

    Vera Sarah Bushfield was an American politician served as a U.S. senator from South Dakota in 1948, as well as the First Lady of South Dakota from 1939 to 1943. Bushfield's appointment also marked the first time one state had been represented by two female senators; Gladys Pyle served for two months in late 1938 and early 1939.

All 13 notable alumni

General info

Alternative names DWU
Founded 1885
Motto Sacrifice or Service
Colors blue, white
Academic calendar August to May. Summer Session (May to July)
Total FTE staff 169
Carnegie classification Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields

Location and contacts

Address 1200 W University Ave
Mitchell, South Dakota, 57301-4398
United States
City population 16,000
Phone 6059952600

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