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Valley City State University

Valley City , ND

Valley City State University (VCSU) is a public institution located in Valley City, North Dakota. Founded in 1890, VCSU is recognized for its high-quality education and commitment to student success. With a focus on technology integration, the university provides a diverse range of programs in fields like education, business, IT, and health sciences.

VCSU offers a vibrant and supportive learning environment where students can pursue their academic and personal goals. The university boasts small class sizes, allowing for individualized attention and fostering meaningful connections between faculty and students. The dedicated faculty members are experts in their fields and are passionate about helping students thrive academically.

Beyond the classroom, VCSU offers various extracurricular activities and resources to enhance students' overall experience. Students can participate in numerous student organizations, clubs, and athletic programs, fostering a sense of community and promoting leadership skills. Additionally, the university provides career development opportunities through internships, cooperative education, and networking events to prepare students for their future careers.

Overall, Valley City State University provides a nurturing and inclusive environment for students to grow intellectually and personally. The university's commitment to academic excellence, technology integration, and student support make it an ideal choice for individuals seeking a well-rounded education and a vibrant campus experience.

Valley City State University is a public four-year college located in Valley City, ND. This school uses a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 99%. The freshman retention rate at Valley City State University is 71% and the six-year graduation rate is 53%.

Learn more about what Valley City State University has to offer based on the most recent data this institution has reported.

Quick Facts

1,651

Total Number of Undergraduate Students

11:1

Student to Faculty Ratio

53%

Graduation Rate

Admissions

Knowing as much as possible about the school's criteria for admission maximizes your chances of getting admitted. Here are the most important facts you need to know about admission policy and requirements at Valley City State University.

According to the most recent data, this school uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 321 in 2025. Valley City State University has an official test-optional admission policy but considers standardized test scores if the applicant decides to submit them. As far as admission difficulty is considered, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is relatively noncompetitive.

Test Scores

5.2% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 63% submitted ACT scores, out of the total number of those who submitted test scores. 23% of the enrolled students submitted SAT composite scores between between 1,200 and 1,399, 47% between 1,000 and 1,199 and 28% between 800 and 999. The percent of first-year students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 2, 23 between 24-29, 46 in the range between 18-23, and 28 between 12-17.

The ACT composite average score for all the admitted students in 2025 was 20 while the average GPA was 3.35. That means that you need a GPA that's above average in order to get into Valley City State University; the same goes for your ACT score.

The SAT Critical Reading average score was 490 for the admitted students, while the average SAT Math score was 490.

Average Test Scores

Retention Rate

The freshman retention rate is the percentage of college or university freshmen who return for their sophomore year. This piece of data is important as it can reveal to the prospective students how many freshmen liked the school enough to return to it as sophomores.

As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for Valley City State University was 71%, which is considered an above-average retention rate and is indicative of the quality of educational experience at this school.

The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. This metric measures how efficiently students complete their degrees within a specific time period. The six-year graduation rate at this school is 53%.

Student Body

Making the decision of which school is the right place for you is not easy. You can get a better insight into a school's culture and life by learning more about its student body.

Main Student Body

The overall number of students enrolled at Valley City State University in 2025 was 1,806.

The school reported an out-of-state student body portion of 35% for that year. There was a total of 1,651 undergraduate students, including 29 international students. The school reported to have a total of 141 transfer students.

Student Population Gender Ratio

The student body is coeducational, with 389 male and 505 female full-time students in 2025.

Student Population Diversity

Higer Education is committed to focusing on the diversity of its student body and improving students' sense of inclusion and belonging. In a diverse learning space, you will be exposed to people from different backgrounds, which promotes the feeling of inclusion and acceptance. Learn more about all the ethnic communities you might encounter at this institution.

This school had 8 Asian students and 37 Afro-American students in 2025. 31 students at this school identified as Hispanic/Latino and 55 identified with more than one race. The school also had 7 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, as well as 12 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 10 students whose ethnicity is unknown.

Cost

One of the most crucial things to take into account when applying to any college or university is the financial component. The latest information on the expenses that most students at this school incur are detailed below.

Tuition and Fees

Wondering about tuition at Valley City State University? Here is what you need to know.

If you are an area resident, your tuition was $6,619. Tuition fees were $11,583 for students coming from out of state. For international students, tuition fees at this school were $11,583, as well. Fees per academic year required of full-time students amounted to $1,961 in 2025.

Category Tuition Fees Total
Out-of-State $11,583 $1,961 $13,544
In-State $6,619 $1,961 $8,580

Books and Supplies

Another important financial factor to consider is the approximate cost of books and supplies for a college or university. The estimated price of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is $1,000.

Boarding

Before you apply to a college or university, you should, among other things, think about the price of a dorm room and cafeteria meals. How much do room and board fees average around at schools?

In 2025, room and board cost at Valley City State University amounted to $8,735 a year. The cost of a dorm room only at this school in 2025 came to $4,100 for one academic year. The estimated expense of room-only (on campus) for commuters not living at home was also $4,100.

Tuition $ 6,619
Room and Board $ 8,735
Book and Supplies $ 1,000
Total Expense $ 16,354

Financial Aid

Grants, loans, scholarships, work-study programs: these are all different types of financial aid available to students. If you want to find out more about need-based and non-need-based aid at Valley City State University, here are some recent data you should consider.

The most recent figures show that financial help was given to 97 freshmen. The average financial aid package awarded to students amounted to $13,728.

Need-based

Financial aid that a student can receive if they are determined to have financial need and meet other eligibility requirements is known as need-based aid.

There were 379 students who acquired need-based financial aid of any kind. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at Valley City State University is available to international students. The overall number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need was 400. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution was $1,448,396, and state $777,035. The students of Valley City State University received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $936,166, and external in the amount of $211,148.

$3,499

Average Amount of Aid Received

Non-Need Based

Non-need-based financial aid is any type of financial aid provided to a student who does not meet the criteria for need-based aid. Most students get non-need-based financial aid as Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the TEACH Grant.

65 students, including freshmen, got institutional non-need-based financial aid at this institution in 2025. Institutional grants or scholarships that are not based on financial need were given to 26 full-time freshman. Federal non-need-based scholarships and grants totaled $1,448,396 for students at this institution, while state aid came to $8,762. The total amount of non-need-based institutional scholarships/grants was $566,292. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $247,646 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).

Majors

Faculty

11:1

Student to Faculty Ratio

The student-to-faculty or student-to-professor ratio represents the number of students compared to the number of professors at a school.

According to the most recent data, the student-faculty ratio at Valley City State University was 11:1: that means 11 students per one teacher, which is considered a good ratio. The faculty of this school consists of 148 members, according to the most recent data reported. Out of that number, there were 56 male and 92 female faculty members. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school speaks volumes for gender equality at Valley City State University.

Student Population Diversity Graph

0
100
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100

Campus Life

Not everything at Valley City State University is about learning and grades: campus life is an essential part of your educational experience. Find out some details about campus life at Valley City State University.

It has a campus size of 55 acres.

Student Organizations

Student organizations are run by students of an institution, and its membership typically consists only of current students and/or alumni.

This school has 38 open-membership student organizations you can participate in. The student organization that attracts the greatest number of students is CRU, followed by Trap Shooting Club and e-Sports. Other popular student organizations at this school are Campus Activities Board and Student Senate.

Students interested in music can join the Valley City State University band or chorus. For students with a talent for acting, there is a drama club.

Student Services

At Valley City State University, there are many amenities that make life on campus pleasant and safe.

There are phone and alarm devices that can be accessed 24/7 for emergency situations. There are electronically operated dormitory entrances. There is a round-the-clock security patrol. There is a medical clinic with personal/psychological counseling. All in all, campus life at Valley City State University is rich and vibrant and provides everything most students need.

Career Services

Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at Valley City State University.

Career Counselling

At Valley City State University, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. The career center offers resume preparation and resume referral to employers. The school has campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be excellent for your future career. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.

FAQ

Valley City State University is located in Valley City, ND.

Valley City State University offers need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.

This school uses standardized test scores for admission.

The most recent data indicate that the acceptance rate for Valley City State University is 99%.

According to the latest information, the freshman retention rate for Valley City State University is 71%.

Contact Information

Valley City State University

101 College St SW

Valley City , ND

58072

800 532-8641

School Website

Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.

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