Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublic

Southwest Minnesota State University

Marshall, Minnesota·Public, 4-year or above·Plains·smsu.edu
6-yr Graduation
45%
-10.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
8,214
peer median 9,266
Avg net price
$15,291
-$1.7k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR Office

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
2,811
2,811 candidates competed
Admitted
1,748
62.2% acceptance rate
Enrolled
388
22.2% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
45%-10.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
30%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
44%
Full-time retention
74%

Pell equity

17.3pp gap
Pell recipients
35%50 of 142
Non-Pell (all)
52%102 of 195
Subsidized loan, no Pell
42%37 of 88
No Federal Aid
61%65 of 107

Non-Pell students graduate at a 17.3-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 76 Title IV programs, 13 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 63 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
76
Passing
13
17.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

76programs
  • Passing13 · 17.1%
  • No Data63 · 82.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
3
Safe
10
No data
63

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

13
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+10.0%
$68,009 vs $61,854
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+20.3%
$43,904 vs $36,491
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
+24.6%
$45,467 vs $36,491
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
+29.4%
$47,219 vs $36,491
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+29.5%
$47,249 vs $36,491
Education General
Master's Degree · Education
+31.2%
$60,873 vs $46,391
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Master's Degree · Education
+46.0%
$67,751 vs $46,391
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+49.5%
$54,554 vs $36,491

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

9
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
52%
$24,677 debt · $47,249 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
50%
$22,073 debt · $43,904 earn
Finance and Financial Management Services
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
45%
$26,596 debt · $59,824 earn
Social Work
Bachelor Degree · Public Administration And Social Service Professions
43%
$19,303 debt · $45,467 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
42%
$23,128 debt · $54,554 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
38%
$21,247 debt · $55,559 earn
Marketing
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
29%
$17,250 debt · $58,574 earn
Education General
Master's Degree · Education
29%
$17,450 debt · $60,873 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Higher Learning Commission

Accredited since 1972Next review Aug 2035

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 5

  1. Apr 2025Initial Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
  2. Apr 2025Initial Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (MNUR) - Master's program
  3. Feb 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Higher Learning Commission
  4. May 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  5. Aug 2014Change in Agency recognition
    National Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$10,559
$30–48k$11,175
$48–75k$13,153
$75–110k$18,283
$110k+$20,701

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$15,291
-$1,658vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $16,949
Federal loans
15.4%
In-state tuition
$10,361
Out-of-state
$10,361

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 1,317 students received $6.6M in Pell grants, alongside $11.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,317
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$6.6M
$6,551,496 total
Direct Loans
$11.6M
2,286 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.5M
906 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.8M
1,085 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$2.8M
245 loan awards
Parent PLUS$492K
48 loan awards
Grad PLUS$10K
2 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 719 borrowers who entered repayment, 12 (1.6%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.6%
-0.7pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
719
Defaulted
12
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.8%
2017
5.9%
2018
5.9%
2019
1.6%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Southwest Minnesota State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs73
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

603 total completions
01Education
23338.6%
02Business
14223.5%
03Health Professions
6210.3%
04Public Admin
386.3%
05Parks/Recreation
376.1%
06Psychology
294.8%
07Liberal Arts
203.3%
08Security/Protective
152.5%
09Computer Sciences
152.5%
10History
122.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
8,214
12-mo unduplicated
10,007
Undergraduate
9,291
Graduate
716

Gender split

Men
38%3,755
Women
62%6,252

Race / ethnicity composition

White
69.4%
Black
8.6%
Hispanic
8.6%
Non-resident
4.6%
Two or more
3.9%
Asian
2.7%
Unknown
1.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
375
228 M · 147 W
Women athletes
39.2%
Athletic aid
$1.4M
Total student aid
Budget
$7.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$791K
$621K
Recruiting expense
$37K
$7K
Head-coach salaries
$77K
$52K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 10

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
73 M · 89 W
$555K
Football
108 M · —
$1.3M
Baseball
48 M · —
$300K
Wrestling
31 M · —
$293K
Basketball
15 M · 15 W
$1.1M
Swimming and Diving (combined)
— · 28 W
$286K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.77
13 offenses · 7,324 students

3-year trend

0.722 yrs ago0.291 yr ago1.77Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
20
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
9
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
2
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
7
Burglary
3
Aggravated assault
3

By location

13total
  • On campus13

Includes 9 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
5
Stalking
6 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs00
Liquor00

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
16.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
126

Southwest Minnesota State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Southwest Minnesota State selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectSouthwest Minnesota State University
45%—8,214$15,291Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Minnesota-Duluth
65%88.8%9,253$18,743Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Saint Cloud State University
39%94.8%10,732$13,529Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Minnesota State University Moorhead
57%58.8%4,386$17,997Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Minnesota State University-Mankato
53%88.4%15,271$19,139Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Northern Iowa
68%92.7%9,278$15,901Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median55%88.8%9,266$16,949

Institutions like Southwest Minnesota State

Explore the federal data for institutions in Southwest Minnesota State's comparison group.

IPEDS

Southwest Minnesota State Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Data Management and Institutional Research
Phone
507-537-6010
Address
BA 243-245 Office Suite 1501 State St. Marshall, MN 56258

The Data Management and Institutional Research Office is of service to the university community with the main objectives to provide data analysis support for administrative decision-making, internal and external reporting, assessment, and planning and policy support for university programs and departments.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Alan Matzner
    Director of Institutional Research

Frequently asked questions about Southwest Minnesota State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Southwest Minnesota State.

What is the graduation rate at Southwest Minnesota State University?

Southwest Minnesota State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 45% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Southwest Minnesota State University?

Southwest Minnesota State University reports a total enrollment of 8,214 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Southwest Minnesota State University?

The average net price at Southwest Minnesota State University is $15,291 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Southwest Minnesota State University?

Southwest Minnesota State University's yield rate is 22.2%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Southwest Minnesota State University located?

Southwest Minnesota State University is located in Marshall, Minnesota 56258-5468.

Who runs Institutional Research at Southwest Minnesota State University?

Southwest Minnesota State University's IR work is done by the Data Management and Institutional Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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