About Dakota Wesleyan University
Located in a remote town, Dakota Wesleyan University is a private nonprofit university in Mitchell, South Dakota, with about 670 undergraduate students, most of them full time. The federal student-to-faculty ratio is about 12 to 1.
Nursing programs at Dakota Wesleyan University
According to federal completion records, Dakota Wesleyan University awards nursing credentials at the bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN) level. A recent year’s totals include about 35 bachelor’s-level nursing graduates. A bachelor’s program is the traditional four-year route to RN licensure and the usual starting point for later graduate study; see our ADN vs. BSN guide if you are still deciding on a degree level. That is a relatively small annual graduating class, so ask how many seats open each year.
Cost and student outcomes
Published tuition and fees are about $34,500 a year. The average net price (what students receiving federal aid pay after grants and scholarships) is about $24,000 a year. About 27% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Students who finish the bachelor’s level and borrow leave with median federal loan debt of about $27,500. Federal earnings data puts median pay for those bachelor’s-level nursing graduates at roughly $74,100 one year after finishing and $76,500 four years out. These are estimates for graduates with reported earnings, not a promise. Schoolwide, about 54% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time and 75% return for a second year.
Applying and licensure
The school admits most applicants (about 73% overall), but that does not mean a nursing seat is guaranteed. Nursing programs usually add their own steps, such as prerequisite science courses, an entrance exam, a minimum GPA, and a limited number of seats, so contact the nursing department about current requirements. Our guide on how to get into nursing school walks through the typical process. After graduation, the path to a license goes through the state board of nursing in South Dakota and the NCLEX exam. Ask the program about its accreditation (ACEN or CCNE) and state approval, and see how it stacks up against other nursing schools in South Dakota.
Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and can change. Confirm current details with the school.