Southwest Minnesota State University
Marshall, MN · Public · Town (remote) · SMSU
Public institution in Marshall, MN · 2,045 undergraduates · 69% acceptance rate · $51,342 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 14%Out-of-state tuition & fees
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $14,760658th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $10,304625th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $10,304286th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $22,399523rd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $20,500685th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $51,3421,008th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $43,282997th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 44.1%1,389th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 69.6%1,262nd highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 68.9%584th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1020897th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 2,045929th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 16.0:11,471st smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 10.8%2,053rd highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 128 mi (MSP)
On 2 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 44 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $63,855 | $61,020 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $59,417 | — |
| Plant SciencesAgriculture | bachelors | $48,849 | — |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $46,321 | $47,729 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $45,221 | $43,798 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $41,193 | $39,369 |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementAgriculture | bachelors | $40,737 | $42,123 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $40,283 | $39,729 |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $39,369 | $34,526 |
| Special Education and TeachingEducation | bachelors | $39,369 | $41,937 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $38,937 | $37,424 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $38,829 | $39,729 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1963source
- Athletic nickname: "Mustangs"source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- School colors: Brown and Goldsource
- Motto: "Discover. Engage. Lead."source
- Campus size: about 216 acressource
- Formerly known as "Southwest Minnesota State College" (1964–1975)source
- Formerly known as "Southwest State University" (1975–2003)source
- Athletic conference: NSICsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Football rivalry: Battle for the Sledge{{Cite web |title=Battle For The Sledge |url=https://winonastatewarriors.com/news/2016/11/4/football-battle-for-the-sledge.aspx |access-date=November 10, 2022 |website=Winona State University Athletics |date=November 4, 2016 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Football History vs Winona State |url=https://smsumustangs.com/sports/football/opponent-history/winona-state/13 |access-date=November 10, 2022 |website=SMSU Athletics |language=en}} (since 1970)source
Athletics — 10 sports
NCAA Division II with football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $1,412,645 (M $791,470 · W $621,175)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitesmsu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 175078)
- Compare colleges in MNRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in MinnesotaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Southwest Minnesota State University vs Carleton CollegeHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 10 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.