2026 College Rankings

Top Hidden Gem Colleges – Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference

Home
College Rankings
Hidden Gems
Conference
Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference

About

College Raptor’s Hidden Gem rankings highlight under-the-radar colleges that may not be household names, but they're bringing serious academic heat. Hidden Gems are based on College Raptor’s overall national rankings and must meet the following criteria:

Receive fewer than 5,000 applications a year.
Have fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students enrolled.
Have an acceptance rate higher than 10%.
Have 5 or more unique majors.
Rank within the top half of College Raptor’s overall rankings.

For more information on methodology behind our college rankings, check out our ranking methodology breakdown.

Sort by:

View as:

Rank	Institution	Acceptance Rate	SAT Score	Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price	Median Starting Salary	Save
1	Augustana University	67.75	1,090 – 1,290	25280	49826	#1 Top Hidden Gem Colleges – Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD At Augustana University, navy blue and gold are the official colors of the Vikings, who compete in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. Education, General, and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse are the most popular majors on campus, and the school has a 11 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio....Read more Acceptance Rate 67.8% SAT Score 1,090 – 1,290 Avg. Net Price $25,280 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $49,826
2	University of Mary	78.25	1,090 – 1,290	19225	50191	#2 Top Hidden Gem Colleges – Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference University of Mary Bismarck, ND Although the University of Mary calls North Dakota home and sits along the Missouri River, satellite campuses can be found all over the United States. It also has a study-abroad campus in Rome. In the classroom, students enjoy a 12 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio. Acceptance Rate 78.3% SAT Score 1,090 – 1,290 Avg. Net Price $19,225 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $50,191
3	University of Sioux Falls	82.98	970 – 1,140	21049	46712	#3 Top Hidden Gem Colleges – Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference University of Sioux Falls Sioux Falls, SD Based in Sioux Falls, the University of Sioux Falls accepted 83% students who applied to the school in the last admissions cycle. They request unknown for undergraduate applications. Approximately 100% of students at the University of Sioux Falls currently receive institutional grant aid to make attending college more......Read more Acceptance Rate 83.0% SAT Score 970 – 1,140 Avg. Net Price $21,049 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $46,712
4	University of Minnesota-Crookston	87.81	1,010 – 1,180	13442	51905	#4 Top Hidden Gem Colleges – Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference University of Minnesota-Crookston Crookston, MN Based in Crookston, the University of Minnesota-Crookston’s acceptance rate is 88%. They request $30 for undergraduate applications and . About 87% of attending students will receive grant aid from the school....Read more Acceptance Rate 87.8% SAT Score 1,010 – 1,180 Avg. Net Price $13,442 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $51,905