Colorado Mesa vs. USD

Should I go to Colorado Mesa University or University of South Dakota? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Colorado Mesa or USD is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Colorado Mesa University vs. University of South Dakota comparison
Colorado Mesa University University of South Dakota College 3 College 4
Colorado Mesa University University of South Dakota
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Overview

 Colorado Mesa USD
Location Grand Junction, CO Vermillion, SD
Setting Small City Distant Town
Enrollment 8,905 9,856
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #886 #597
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mesastate.edu usd.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Colorado Mesa USD
Tuition (In State) $8,261 $7,773
Tuition (Out of State) $21,983 $11,283
Room & Board $11,522 $8,224
Avg Net Price $15,085 $18,378
Avg Grant Aid $9,209 $6,308
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 79%

Admission

 Colorado Mesa USD
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 9,810 4,480
Admitted 8,021 4,456
Acceptance Rate 81.8% 99.5%
Enrolled % 21.8% 29.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.28 3.43
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25 19/25
SAT Range 930/1180 1020/1300
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 Colorado Mesa USD
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (26%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (5%)
  • Health Professions (32%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

 Colorado Mesa USD
Graduation Rate 25% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,000 $48,200
Making Student Loan Payments 48% 70%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,750 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $224 $258

Diversity

 Colorado Mesa USD
% Men 47% 37%
% Women 53% 63%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 70% 85%
% Black 3% 3%
% Hispanic 17% 3%
% Native American 1% 2%
% Pacific Islander 1% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 Colorado Mesa USD
% In-State 83% 54%
% Out-of-State 16% 43%

Campus

 Colorado Mesa USD
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of South Dakota is larger than than Colorado Mesa based on total student enrollment (9,856 students vs. 8,905 students)

Colorado Mesa vs. USD Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Colorado Mesa or USD?

  • Colorado Mesa University is 6.3% more expensive to attend than USD for in-state tuition ($8,261.00 vs. $7,773.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 94.8% higher at Colorado Mesa than University of South Dakota ($21,983.00 vs. $11,283.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Colorado Mesa University than USD ($15,085 vs. $18,378)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Dakota are 40.1% lower than costs at Colorado Mesa University ($8,224 vs. $11,522)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Colorado Mesa University than University of South Dakota (87% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Colorado Mesa University students is 46% larger than aid received University of South Dakota ($9,209 vs. $6,308)

Colorado Mesa vs. USD Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Colorado Mesa or USD? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between USD or Colorado Mesa .

  • The average SAT score at University of South Dakota (1049) is 97 points higher than at Colorado Mesa (952)
  • Incoming USD students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Colorado Mesa (20)
  • Accepted freshman USD students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.43) than students at Colorado Mesa (3.28)
  • USD has a higher acceptance rate (99.5%) than Colorado Mesa (81.8%)

Colorado Mesa vs. USD Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Colorado Mesa or USD? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between USD and Colorado Mesa.

  • The graduation rate at USD is higher than Colorado Mesa University (47% vs. 25%)
  • Graduates from University of South Dakota earn on average $8,200 more per year than Colorado Mesa graduates after ten years. ($48,200 vs. $40,000)
  • Colorado Mesa University students graduate with a $3,250 lower median federal student loan debt than USD graduates. ($21,750 vs. $25,000)
  • Colorado Mesa graduates are paying $34 less per month on federal student loans than USD graduates. ($224 vs. $258)
  • More USD graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Colorado Mesa students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 48%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/