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Dakota Wesleyan University

Dakota Wesleyan University is based in the town of Mitchell, SD — a private campus in a small-town setting. The school reports a United Methodist affiliation in its federal filings.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

key chart

Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$14,366

family income
under $30k

$14,704

$30–48k

$17,457

$48–75k

$20,297

$75–110k

$21,215

over $110k

Average net price

$19,7352023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Dakota Wesleyan University rose from $15,560 (2008) to $19,735 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$15,560
2009	$16,753
2010	$16,555
2011	$17,338
2012	$16,484
2013	$17,186
2014	$19,203
2015	$18,878
2016	$20,336
2017	$22,388
2018	$21,574
2019	$20,929
2020	$21,847
2021	$22,931
2022	$19,300
2023	$19,735

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$43,8642024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Dakota Wesleyan University rose from $27,340 (2009) to $43,864 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$27,340
2010	$28,570
2011	$29,880
2012	$31,010
2013	$31,596
2014	$32,693
2015	$34,010
2016	$35,694
2017	$37,235
2018	$38,272
2019	$37,701
2020	$38,617
2021	$39,854
2022	$40,906
2023	$42,473
2024	$43,864

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$10,611
2001	$11,654
2002	$12,262
2003	$13,570
2004	$14,800
2005	$15,700
2006	$16,650
2007	$17,600
2008	$18,500
2013	$22,700
2014	$23,650
2015	$24,800
2016	$26,050
2017	$27,030
2018	$27,640
2019	$28,750
2020	$29,770
2021	$30,880
2022	$31,890
2023	$32,890

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $33,790 before grants and other attendance costs. At Dakota Wesleyan University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Enrollment sits at 670 — Dakota Wesleyan University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.

48.3% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Dakota Wesleyan University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

key chart

48.3%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Dakota Wesleyan University has wandered from Fall 1996 to Fall 2018 entering cohorts — up to 59.9% at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 48.3%.

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1996 cohort	51%
1997 cohort	57.6%
1998 cohort	45.8%
1999 cohort	42.1%
2000 cohort	39.9%
2001 cohort	51.7%
2002 cohort	38.9%
2003 cohort	38.4%
2004 cohort	40.3%
2005 cohort	41.6%
2006 cohort	42.5%
2007 cohort	42.2%
2008 cohort	44.1%
2009 cohort	44.6%
2010 cohort	47.6%
2011 cohort	51.5%
2012 cohort	59.9%
2013 cohort	53.6%
2014 cohort	44.3%
2015 cohort	54.9%
2016 cohort	53.4%
2017 cohort	46.4%
2018 cohort	48.3%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1996–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 (FY1997/98)	—	$8,875
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$14,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$17,125	$5,891
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,125	$4,485
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,125	$6,000
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$19,125	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$20,963	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$23,038	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$24,500	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$26,000	$9,500
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$27,000	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$26,533	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$26,918	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$27,000	$5,858
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$27,000	$7,250
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$27,000	$8,750
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$27,000	$8,250

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$49,432

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$51,754

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$53,728

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Dakota Wesleyan University admitted 915 of 1,247 applicants in Fall 2024. The 73.4% rate describes that application pool.

73.4%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $32,890 tuition · 2023–24 670 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Tests not considered · Fall 2024

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Dakota Wesleyan University received 1,247 applications and admitted 915 (73.4%), with 192 enrolling.

Dakota Wesleyan University did not consider scores in the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. No score range is displayed for Dakota Wesleyan University under that historical policy.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Acceptance rate

73.4%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2002	83.8%
Fall 2003	77%
Fall 2004	—
Fall 2005	74.4%
Fall 2006	75.2%
Fall 2007	68.3%
Fall 2008	74.8%
Fall 2009	80.7%
Fall 2010	78.5%
Fall 2011	76%
Fall 2012	73.3%
Fall 2013	70.2%
Fall 2014	73.4%
Fall 2015	74.4%
Fall 2016	72.7%
Fall 2017	76%
Fall 2018	73.6%
Fall 2019	66.7%
Fall 2020	64.2%
Fall 2021	75.7%
Fall 2022	74.8%
Fall 2023	72.8%
Fall 2024	73.4%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2002–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

950–1420Fall 2022 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2005	920	1100
Fall 2006	805	1057
Fall 2007	785	955
Fall 2008	740	1060
Fall 2009	800	1210
Fall 2010	770	1132
Fall 2011	710	1160
Fall 2012	820	1200
Fall 2013	810	1170
Fall 2014	850	1220
Fall 2015	776	1029
Fall 2016	800	1010
Fall 2017	750	1170
Fall 2018	900	1060
Fall 2019	890	1150
Fall 2020	950	1110
Fall 2021	860	1100
Fall 2022	950	1420

IPEDS Fall 2005–2022, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

18–24Fall 2022 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2003	24	25
Fall 2004	18	23
Fall 2005	17	23
Fall 2006	18	23
Fall 2007	19	24
Fall 2008	18	25
Fall 2009	18	26
Fall 2010	18	26
Fall 2011	17	25
Fall 2012	18	26
Fall 2013	19	27
Fall 2014	18	27
Fall 2015	18	24
Fall 2016	19	24
Fall 2017	20	24
Fall 2018	19	24
Fall 2019	19	24
Fall 2020	18	23
Fall 2021	19	25
Fall 2022	18	24

IPEDS Fall 2003–2022, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

670Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Dakota Wesleyan University has wandered from Fall 2002 to Fall 2024 — up to 803 at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 670.

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	692
Fall 2003	715
Fall 2004	655
Fall 2005	803
Fall 2006	724
Fall 2007	721
Fall 2008	683
Fall 2009	724
Fall 2010	717
Fall 2011	679
Fall 2012	734
Fall 2013	754
Fall 2014	765
Fall 2015	795
Fall 2016	781
Fall 2017	774
Fall 2018	743
Fall 2019	719
Fall 2020	690
Fall 2021	654
Fall 2022	626
Fall 2023	661
Fall 2024	670

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

75%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Dakota Wesleyan University rose from 58% (Fall 2003) to 75% (Fall 2023).

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2003 cohort	58%
Fall 2004 cohort	58%
Fall 2005 cohort	53%
Fall 2006 cohort	63%
Fall 2007 cohort	59%
Fall 2008 cohort	62%
Fall 2009 cohort	57%
Fall 2010 cohort	66%
Fall 2011 cohort	72%
Fall 2012 cohort	77%
Fall 2013 cohort	66%
Fall 2014 cohort	71%
Fall 2015 cohort	76%
Fall 2016 cohort	66%
Fall 2017 cohort	71%
Fall 2018 cohort	65%
Fall 2019 cohort	69%
Fall 2020 cohort	71%
Fall 2021 cohort	69%
Fall 2022 cohort	69%
Fall 2023 cohort	75%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2003–2023

More about Dakota Wesleyan University

27.1% of Dakota Wesleyan University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Dakota Wesleyan University as a primarily residential campus of 670 undergraduates — and 75.1% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Dakota Wesleyan University reported not considering test scores in Fall 2024, when its admission rate was 73.4%. Review Dakota Wesleyan University's current requirements before applying; use the GPA calculator for your semester numbers.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Dakota Wesleyan University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Dakota Wesleyan University73.4%

South Dakota median84.6%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Dakota Wesleyan University$33,790

South Dakota median$10,077

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Dakota Wesleyan University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Dakota Wesleyan University$53,728

South Dakota median$51,926

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Dakota Wesleyan University, South Dakota and national reference values
Metric & basis	Dakota Wesleyan University	South Dakota median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	73.4%	84.6%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$33,790	$10,077	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$53,728	$51,926	$53,781

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Dakota Wesleyan University report?

Dakota Wesleyan University did not consider scores in Fall 2024: 73.4% admitted. Check current requirements.

What is Dakota Wesleyan University's acceptance rate?

73.4% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 915 admitted from 1,247 applicants.

How much does Dakota Wesleyan University cost?

At Dakota Wesleyan University, tuition is $33,790. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Dakota Wesleyan University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $53,728. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in South Dakota

Augustana University — 67.7% admitted
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology — 79.9% admitted
University of Sioux Falls — 82.9% admitted
Dakota State University — 88% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Read the date and population definitions.