DWU

Dakota Wesleyan University

Mitchell, South Dakota Private nonprofit 4-year Remote town

Overview

Located in Mitchell, South Dakota, Dakota Wesleyan University is a private nonprofit four-year institution. The campus sits in a remote town. It enrolled 892 students in fall 2024, including 771 undergraduates and 121 graduate students. Its religious affiliation is United Methodist.

Dakota Wesleyan University offers certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and master's degrees across 60 programs. Its largest programs by number of graduates are Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management, Registered Nursing, and Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other. It awarded 218 degrees and certificates in 2024-25. 8 of its programs can be completed entirely online.

75% of full-time first-year students return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio is 12 to 1.

Key figures

892

Students enrolled

75%

First-year retention

218

Degrees and certificates awarded, 2024-25

Programs and majors

12:1

Student-to-faculty ratio

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Delivery modes

CampusOnlineHybrid

Program levels

CertificateAssociateBachelorMaster

Programs and majors offered 60

Graduate counts are degrees and certificates awarded in each program between July 2024 and June 2025. Largest fields are listed first.

Business, Management and Marketing 11

Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management CertificateBachelorMaster Online option 43 graduates
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other CertificateMaster Online option 22 graduates
Business Administration and Management AssociateBachelor 15 graduates
Organizational Leadership AssociateBachelor Online option 11 graduates
Entrepreneurship AssociateBachelor 9 graduates
Accounting Bachelor 5 graduates
Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other Master Online option 1 graduate
Finance Bachelor
Financial Planning and Services Certificate
Management Science Bachelor
Marketing Bachelor

Health Professions 2

Registered Nursing Bachelor 33 graduates
Athletic Training/Trainer Master 5 graduates

Education 12

Elementary Education and Teaching Bachelor 15 graduates
Special Education and Teaching BachelorMaster Online option 5 graduates
English/Language Arts Teacher Education Bachelor 4 graduates
Educational Administration and Supervision, Other CertificateMaster Online option 3 graduates
Educational Leadership and Administration Master Online option 3 graduates
History Teacher Education Bachelor 3 graduates
Mathematics Teacher Education Bachelor 2 graduates
Curriculum and Instruction CertificateMaster Online option 1 graduate
Music Teacher Education Bachelor 1 graduate
Biology Teacher Education Bachelor
Education, General BachelorMaster Online option
Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education Master

Homeland Security, Law Enforcement and Firefighting 2

Criminal Justice/Safety Studies AssociateBachelor 11 graduates
Forensic Science and Technology Bachelor

Biological and Biomedical Sciences 2

Biochemistry Bachelor 5 graduates
Biology Bachelor 2 graduates

Parks, Recreation, Fitness and Kinesiology 2

Exercise Science and Kinesiology Bachelor 6 graduates
Sport and Fitness Administration/Management Bachelor

Visual and Performing Arts 4

Digital Arts Bachelor 5 graduates
Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts Bachelor
Graphic Design Bachelor
Music Bachelor

Natural Resources and Conservation 1

Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management Bachelor 4 graduates

Psychology 1

Psychology, General Bachelor 4 graduates

Mathematics and Statistics 1

Mathematics Bachelor 2 graduates

Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary Studies 2

Behavioral Sciences Bachelor 2 graduates
Biological and Physical Sciences Bachelor

Communication and Journalism 2

Speech Communication and Rhetoric Bachelor 1 graduate
Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia Bachelor

History 1

History, General Bachelor 1 graduate

Computer and Information Sciences 1

Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design Bachelor

English Language and Literature 4

Creative Writing Bachelor
English Language and Literature, General Bachelor
General Literature Bachelor
Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing Bachelor

Foreign Languages and Linguistics 1

Foreign Languages and Literatures Bachelor

Liberal Arts and General Studies 2

General Studies AssociateBachelor
Liberal Arts and Sciences Bachelor

Philosophy and Religious Studies 2

Christian Studies Bachelor
Religion/Religious Studies Bachelor

Physical Sciences 2

Chemistry Bachelor
Physics Bachelor

Public Administration and Social Services 1

Human Services Bachelor

Social Sciences 4

American Government and Politics (United States) Bachelor
Economics Bachelor
Political Science and Government Bachelor
Sociology Bachelor

Outcomes

Retention is for students who started in fall 2023 and returned in fall 2024.

First-year retention, full-time students: 75%
Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1

Degrees and certificates awarded

Awards conferred between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.

Bachelor's degrees: 134
Associate degrees: 6
Master's degrees: 46
Postbaccalaureate certificates: 32

Enrollment

Students, fall 2024: 892
Undergraduates, fall 2024: 771
Graduate students, fall 2024: 121
Full-time, fall 2024: 81%
Students over the full 2024-25 year: 993
Undergraduates, 2024-25: 832
Graduate students, 2024-25: 161
Full-time, 2024-25: 76%
Size category: Under 1,000 students

Student body

Share of all students enrolled during 2024-25. Small groups can round to zero and are not listed.

Women: 55%
Men: 45%
White: 81%
Hispanic or Latino: 6%
Black or African American: 2%
Asian: 1%
Two or more races: 6%
American Indian or Alaska Native: 1%
International (U.S. nonresident): 2%
Race or ethnicity unknown: 1%

Online and flexible learning

Distance education in 2024-25.

Programs that can be completed fully online: 8
Programs with a fully online option: 1
Online undergraduate programs: Yes
Online graduate programs: Yes
Students studying fully online: 7%
Students taking some online courses: 54%

Campus and services

Setting: Remote town
Academic calendar: Semester
Religious affiliation: United Methodist
Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields
Athletic association: NAIA
Athletic conference: Great Plains Athletic Conference
President: Daniel R. Kittle
Services and opportunities: Study abroad, Teacher certification, Academic and career counseling, Student employment services, Accepts AP credit, Credit for life experience
For veterans and service members: Yellow Ribbon Program, Credit for military training