Northern State University
Aberdeen, SD, USA

Reviews

Northern State University

Megan from Scranton, ND

a current student here
4 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
Am learning a lot
I am learning everything I had hoped to as a college Freshman. The faculty here is not only more than qualified but because NSU is such a small campus, students here are more than just a number. Every professor genuinely cares about his/her students. All my professors knew me by name and said hello to me outside of class after a month of class. The professors at NSU have so much information to give you and are really excited to share it with you.
Am enjoying being here
Going to college at NSU is like having a second family. Even the people I don't know are always friendly which includes all the faculty, alumni, and students. Students can be as involved or relaxed in their schedule as they want with varsity and intramural sports; the Symphonic, Community, and two Jazz Bands; Collegiate, Chamber, and Jazz Choirs; Debate and Speech Teams, multiple theatre activities including musical theatre, and different interest groups including the Accounting Club and many, many others. Students at NSU never have the excuse of being bored.
Bang for the buck
Northern State University is a public college with public college prices of under $15,000 a year (in-state tuition) but has a private college size. Even the largest general classes at NSU are around 60 students (and that's big!). Northern State University also has a wonderful 4-year academic scholarship program called the Wolf-Pact Scholarship program which is one of the best (if not the best) scholarship offer in the state of SD. This scholarship varies depending on a student's ACT (or SAT) score and GPA.
Tips for prospective students
I recommend visiting the NSU campus and meeting the faculty. I found NSU was the best fit for me once I took a look around and met the faculty here. That combined with the low price of the college before and especially after their generous scholarship program made it no question where the best college for me was. Also, visiting the northern website (northern.edu) would be a good first step for prospective students.
Great for these types of students
Northern State University is well-known for its music and history departments, so if one of these are your major area of study, I suggest you give Northern a second look. However, NSU is a good four-year university for many students in many different areas of study.

Kelcy from Aberdeen, SD

a current student here
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
I rate Northern State as an 8 out of 10. Northern State has some advantages and disadvantages--just like every other college.
Tips for prospective students
Some tips would be to work hard in high school so you can apply for a lot of scholarships and have a higher chance at being selected. Be involved in organizations, clubs, sports teams, etc. to get the full experience of college. Friendships are easily formed through activities.
Academic Rigor
The academic portion of Northern State is challenging, but achievable. Mix hard courses and easy courses during the same semester. Don't take all easy courses the first semester, then all hard courses the next semester. This will lead to stress and possibly a drop in GPA.
Dorm Life
Dorm life is as good as it gets. You get what you put into it. There are some things that aren't attractive about the dorm life like the bathrooms, dirty hallways, and sharing appliances in the lounge. The best thing about dorm life is hanging out with friends, helping friends with homework or other activities, and being on campus.
Food and Dining
The food will get old after awhile, but there is always a variety of choices to eat. Try eating cereal sometimes if you don't want the food from the grill or a sandwich. There is always pizza, a salad bar, and a sandwich bar. If you want to eat healthy your best choice is salad or the dinner style food (which would be the food not on the made from the grill or fried).
What to do for fun
There are a lot of things to do for fun. Some activities around campus like ace of cupcakes, bowling, ice skating, dances, fondue gatherings, swimming, pool table, ping pong, etc. You can attend basketball games, football games, wrestling, baseball, etc. too.
Bang for the buck
The basketball games are very exciting. Wachs Arena can hold a lot of fans. Aberdeen is a smaller community; the majority of people from Aberdeen attend the games which make the atmosphere exciting.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
An unusual tradition at Northern State is I Hate Winter weekend. During this weekend, students dress up in summer attire and attend the basketball games. It is a great way to cheer on the hometown teams and be a part of the roaring student section. There is a hot tub during the games that students can sit in too!
Great for these types of students
Northern State is great for students who don't want too big of a college, but don't want too small of a college. It is a wonderful size with new facilities, improvements, and filled with activities.
Clubs and Activities
Clubs range from Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honor Society, Student Activities Club to intramural sport teams, business clubs, academic, special interest, etc.
Greek Life
None available.
Campus Safety
The campus has a local police officer. He is a licensed law enforcement officer and available for keeping the campus safe.

Jacob from Aberdeen, SD

a current student here
3 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
The teachers at Northern State University are top-notch. They teach us the things we will need to know to succeed out in the working world. The institution as a whole could not be better, an overall friendly atmosphere.
Tips for prospective students
At NSU, you will be part of a community that cares. People are always willing to help and are always super-friendly. Its a great place to learn and it is a great place to meet new people.
Academic Rigor
The teachers, the courses, and advisors are always top-notch. Teachers are always there to help you when you need them, the courses give you a chance to experience what you will be going through in your career, and the advisors are always helpful in getting you on the right path and keeping you on the right path to success.
Dorm Life
The rooms give you great space for when you want to get your studies done. Activities at the dorms are always going on so if you don't have any studying to do, you can always go out and have some fun.
Food and Dining
Food is great, you have your choices from something off the grill to something that may interpret a home-cooked meal. You can always eat healthy because the salad bar is always open. You have other options as well like pizza or the Asian station.
What to do for fun
Any hobby people at NSU have, they can find right on campus. There is so much stuff to do, there is always an activity to participate in.
Bang for the buck
At NSU, you feel like you're in your own small-town community where everyone knows everyone and they all get along. The tuition is a lot lower than most universities, but that fact don't take away from the amount of learning you will go through at NSU.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
There is a whole lot of traditions that go on around campus. They are always filled with students having a good time.
Great for these types of students
People who like to learn and have fun.
Clubs and Activities
There is a huge assortment of clubs from academics to sports. It is very easy to stay involved because they cover a lot of the hobbies most students have.
Greek Life
There is not a greek life on campus, but there is Gypsy Days, which is NSU's homecoming celebration. Full of activities to keep the homecoming week going and the school spirit up.
Campus Safety
The campus safety is great, never feels like a threatening environment.

Ioana from Romania

a past student here
2 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
NSU is small public liberal arts college in Aberdeen, SD. It has the only Center of Excellence in International Business. The campus is gorgeous and safe.
Tips for prospective students
If you have questions about a specific class or major write directly to the faculty, you will be amazed at how engaged they are with the new students.
Academic Rigor
NSU is the kind of place where you make what you put in. You can apply to become an honors student, you can decide to study abroad for up to a year and learn a new language or you can get involved with undergraduate research. The teachers are always available and become your greatest supporters, and because the classes are small and they are not relying on teaching assistants as other bigger colleges. Most of the professors have or are pressured to get PhD's, that means that you have access to specialists in their fields and work on research projects if you wish.
Dorm Life
The dorms are pretty old but the housing is going through a renewal process. This fall a new residence hall will open and another one will be built for 2018. One old residence is getting demolished to make space for a football filed. If you apply to become an RA then you get a free room by yourself and are in charge of your floor. The workload is less then 20 hours a week.
Food and Dining
There are a lot of options for food although it can be a little expensive.There is a rice/noodle station, a salad bar, an entree section but also the fast food type that many students might eat. There is a lot of fresh lively food in there and some Gluten Free options.
What to do for fun
There are not a lot of distractions from study. But students can go cheer for the NSU teams, go bowling, to the movies, bike at Wylie park, participate in campus clubs, shows and activities.
Bang for the buck
NSU is the definition of Bang for the Buck. It is one affordable public school that allows you to save for a good undergraduate degree. If you think of going to a graduate school and do not want to end up with student loans, than this is the way to go.
Great for these types of students
The population of NSU reflects the demographics of the state of South Dakota meaning that most most students are caucasian but that does not mean that the place is not welcoming of all students. This place is good for students that have completed community colleges and want to continue with a good quality and affordable option, international students, music and art students, students that want to study abroad etc.
Campus Safety
It is a safe campus in a small safe community

Ben from Cheyenne, WY

a current student here
2 people found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
Northern is a great college with great professors who will help students with jobs and internships thanks to the small class sizes.
Tips for prospective students
If you are going to attend Northern, make the decision before the fall of your freshman year. They have really good scholarships for incoming freshman which are not available after that. Also, visit Northern, or any other school first to make sure the school is perfect for you.
Academic Rigor
It is as hard as you make it. Northern has some tough teachers and classes, not to the point where it will sink your gpa, but it is a challenge.
Dorm Life
Dorm life is fun here, Northern is a pretty close nit community. So the social aspect is fun and the dorms are decent. The suites are very nice.
Food and Dining
The food is not bad. Obviously it is not as good as mom's home cooking. But good enough to where you dont have to starve yourself. They actually listen to student reviews and did improve from a year ago.
What to do for fun
Athletics are huge at Northern, so games and events are really popular. Fine arts is also really big and there is always concerts or plays. Aside from that, the school puts on fun activities quite a bit such as dances or other social events. Aberdeen also has a water park, frisbee golf, normal golf, and really good hunting.
Bang for the buck
Northern is a cheap school and offers a great education as well as lots of help for future careers.
Greek Life
There is no Greek life at Northern. Which people here seem to be thankful for.
Campus Safety
Campus is very safe due to the small size and nice people.

Eleni from Watertown, SD

a current student here
1 person found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
I would give Northern a five out of five! I love it there so much, and it's nice because everything is at close range to you. I love how easy it is to get answers to your questions as well for things like financial aid.
Tips for prospective students
I would come and take a tour, because it has such a great atmosphere. Don't be afraid to ask questions either.
Academic Rigor
The level of work just depends on the classes you are taking, or if you are in honors or not. For the most part though it is somewhat of a challenge.
Dorm Life
I honestly love dorm life. I have made so many new friends, and it's nice just being able to hang out.
Food and Dining
We have a wide range of food in the cafeteria. You might get pretty sick of it after a while, but that's cafeteria food for you. It really isn't that bad. Just get the 100 meals and the 400 flex for the meal plan.
What to do for fun
There is a ton of different things that you can do on campus, but off campus they have a mall, theater, and fun stores downtown. Always something to do.
Bang for the buck
Northern is relatively inexpensive compared to a lot of other schools. It's a little smaller, but that means more student/professor one-on-one time.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Gypsy days is our homecoming week for celebrations.
Great for these types of students
This school is most known for its business and teaching programs, however there is a lot more to offer than that.
Clubs and Activities
There are a ton of clubs and activities to join.
Campus Safety
Campus safety is pretty good, and we do have a campus cop.

Brittni from Aberdeen, SD

a current student here
1 person found this review useful
CategoriesComments
In three sentences
It has a great environment! Very friendly students and even friendlier staff!
Tips for prospective students
Tour the campus FIRST!
What to do for fun
A huge variety of fun clubs!
Bang for the buck
Very reasonable!