Is Dakota Bottineau or Lake Region State cheaper?

On published price, Lake Region State is cheaper — about $14,627 a year out of state in tuition and housing, against $16,583 at Dakota Bottineau. That is sticker price; athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off it, so ask both coaches what an actual offer would look like.

Which school graduates more of its students, Dakota Bottineau or Lake Region State?

Dakota Bottineau, at 53% against 51% at Lake Region State (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.

How do I contact the coaches at Dakota Bottineau and Lake Region State?

Both programs run a recruiting questionnaire, and that is the right first move — it is exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit it at any age. Fill out both, then follow with an email to each staff.

Dakota Bottineau vs Lake Region State: Softball Program Comparison

Two JUCO programs in the Region 13. Lake Region State runs $1,956 less per year out of state; Dakota Bottineau graduates 2 points more of its students.

JUCO

Dakota Bottineau

Region 13

Bottineau, ND

JUCO

Lake Region State

Region 13

Devils Lake, ND

Which one is right for you?

Neither school is better in the abstract — they are better for different athletes. These are the differences big enough to actually decide on.

Lean Dakota Bottineau if…

Finishing the degree is the priority: Dakota Bottineau graduates 2 percentage points more of its students than Lake Region State.

Lean Lake Region State if…

You are an out-of-state recruit and the number on the bill matters: Lake Region State lists $1,956 less per year in tuition and housing than Dakota Bottineau.
You are weighing the degree as an investment: Lake Region State graduates earn about $8,926 more per year a decade after enrolling.

What it costs to go there

Published sticker price from IPEDS. Almost nobody pays it — athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off the top — but the gap between two schools is a fair read on the gap between two offers.

What it costs to go there: Dakota Bottineau compared with Lake Region State
Measure	Dakota Bottineau	Lake Region State
In-state tuition & fees	$5,347	$5,478
Out-of-state tuition & fees	$7,613	$5,478 — Lake Region State leads on this measure: lower published out-of-state tuition
Room & board	$8,970	$9,149
Est. in-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.	$14,317	$14,627
Est. out-of-state year, all inTuition & fees plus room & board. Excludes books, travel and any aid.	$16,583	$14,627 — Lake Region State leads on this measure: lower total out-of-state cost

What you leave with

Federal College Scorecard figures for all students at the institution, not softball players specifically. Read them as a signal about the degree, not about the program.

What you leave with: Dakota Bottineau compared with Lake Region State
Measure	Dakota Bottineau	Lake Region State
Graduation rate	53% — Dakota Bottineau leads on this measure: higher share of students finishing their degree	51%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry	$40,576/yr	$49,502/yr — Lake Region State leads on this measure: higher median earnings a decade out
Median debt at graduation	$10,507	$10,293
Debt as a share of year-10 payMedian debt divided by median earnings 10 years after entry. Lower is easier to pay back.	26%	21% — Lake Region State leads on this measure: debt is a smaller share of what graduates earn

Getting in, and what you'd walk into

Admissions and size. A coach can support your file, but at most schools they cannot admit you — the academic profile below is the bar you still have to clear.

Getting in, and what you'd walk into: Dakota Bottineau compared with Lake Region State
Measure	Dakota Bottineau	Lake Region State
Total enrollmentNeither is better — it is the difference between a lecture hall and a seminar table.	1,180	1,810
Where it is	Bottineau, ND	Devils Lake, ND

The softball program itself

Division and conference set the ceiling; the postseason record and staff tell you what the program has actually done with it.

The softball program itself: Dakota Bottineau compared with Lake Region State
Measure	Dakota Bottineau	Lake Region State
Head coach	Jason Lindgren	Kory Boehmer

How you actually get in front of them

Camps and questionnaires are the two channels a recruit controls. Where a program runs its own camp, that camp is usually the shortest path to being evaluated by the staff that would recruit you.

How you actually get in front of them: Dakota Bottineau compared with Lake Region State
Measure	Dakota Bottineau	Lake Region State
Recruiting questionnaire	Yes	Yes

Scholarship money, honestly

Both programs sit at JUCO (NJCAA & community colleges), so the scholarship rules are identical: varies by njcaa division. Scholarship availability at junior colleges varies by NJCAA division — some can offer full athletic scholarships, some offer tuition-level aid, and NJCAA Division III offers no athletic aid.

How JUCO softball scholarships actually work →

What to do about it this week

Questionnaires are exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit one at any age. Do both, then follow with a short email to each staff.

Dakota Bottineau

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Lake Region State

Open the recruiting questionnaire

Camps we track

None listed right now. Camp schedules go up through the winter — check the program's own site before ruling it out.

Dakota Bottineau vs Lake Region State: common questions

Is Dakota Bottineau or Lake Region State cheaper?: On published price, Lake Region State is cheaper — about $14,627 a year out of state in tuition and housing, against $16,583 at Dakota Bottineau. That is sticker price; athletic, academic and need-based aid all come off it, so ask both coaches what an actual offer would look like.
Which school graduates more of its students, Dakota Bottineau or Lake Region State?: Dakota Bottineau, at 53% against 51% at Lake Region State (IPEDS, 2023-24). That is the whole student body, not the softball roster.
Do Dakota Bottineau and Lake Region State offer softball scholarships?: Both play at JUCO (NJCAA & community colleges): varies by njcaa division. Scholarship availability at junior colleges varies by NJCAA division — some can offer full athletic scholarships, some offer tuition-level aid, and NJCAA Division III offers no athletic aid.
How do I contact the coaches at Dakota Bottineau and Lake Region State?: Both programs run a recruiting questionnaire, and that is the right first move — it is exempt from NCAA contact-date rules, so you can submit it at any age. Fill out both, then follow with an email to each staff.

Cost, graduation and enrollment figures from IPEDS (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2023-24). Earnings, debt and admission rates from the federal College Scorecard. Postseason results from the NCAA Division I softball tournament records, 2021-2026. Rankings from NCAA.com and U.S. News & World Report. Figures describe the institution, not the softball roster.

We work hard to keep all data for Dakota Bottineau and Lake Region State accurate and up-to-date, but we sometimes miss changes or get something wrong.

Still deciding between them?

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Full Dakota Bottineau program page →Full Lake Region State program page →

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