More selective than 44% of South Dakota colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,753. College Scorecard.
Higher than 50% of South Dakota colleges we cover and 44% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 50% of South Dakota colleges we cover and 43% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Dakota State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 988 applicants, Dakota State University admitted 967 and 394 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1190–1440 on the SAT or 20–27 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Dakota State University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for South Dakota residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Dakota State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Dakota State University took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in South Dakota. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,317 | $74,117 | 4.9 years |
| $30–48k | $18,792 | $80,430 | 5.3 years |
| $48–75k | $19,165 | $82,026 | 5.4 years |
| $75–110k | $22,601 | $96,732 | 6.4 years |
| $110k+ | $23,269 | $99,591 | 6.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (35% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($50,970) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,173 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Dakota State University majors, earnings & careers
Dakota State University offers 24 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Education · 3
- Humanities & Languages · 3
- Arts & Design · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at Dakota State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $85,696 | $23,000 |
| Information Technology | $78,637 | $25,000 |
| Business Administration | $69,841 | $30,625 |
| Information Science / Studies | $56,991 | $29,318 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $48,997 | $26,600 |
| Special Education | $46,095 | $31,000 |
| Software and Media Applications | $42,513 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 24 majors
- Accounting—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other—
- Business Administration$69,841
- Computer and Information Sciences$85,696
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$48,997
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English Language and Literature / Letters, Other—
- Finance—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Administration—
- Information Science / Studies$56,991
- Information Technology$78,637
- Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Medical Illustration and Informatics—
- Physical Sciences—
- Software and Media Applications$42,513
- Special Education$46,095
- Statistics—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Information Technology → Network / systems administrator
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 4.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer and Information Sciences → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Madison
2 bedrooms $1,154.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 26 inches of rain a year, 37 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Lake County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Lake County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Dakota State University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in South Dakota by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakota State University | 88% | $21,057 | 51% | $50,970 | This school |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | 80% | $20,183 | 53% | $72,257 | |
| Northern State University | 93% | $15,812 | 49% | $47,618 | |
| Black Hills State University | 96% | $15,911 | 43% | $46,674 | |
| University of South Dakota | 99% | $19,858 | 60% | $51,926 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Dakota State University would cost you $874 more per year than South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Dakota State University, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$1,286).
- South Dakota School of Mines and Technology gives aided families $506 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Dakota resident | Dakota State University | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,654 | $10,500 | −$846 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,900 | −$700 |
| Housing & meals | $8,990 | $8,800 | +$190 |
| Personal & travel | $6,286 | $5,000 | +$1,286 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$377 | −$815 | +$438 |
| Sticker price | $25,753 | $25,385 | +$368 |
| Average grants | −$4,696 | −$5,202 | +$506 |
| You pay | $21,057 | $20,183 | +$874 |
“+” means Dakota State University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Dakota State University
What is the Dakota State University acceptance rate?
Dakota State University accepts 88% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 967 of 988 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1190–1440 on the SAT or 20–27 on the ACT.
How much does Dakota State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,753 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $21,057 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,317 and families earning $110k+ pay $23,269.
How much do Dakota State University graduates earn?
Former Dakota State University students earn a median $50,970 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Dakota State University graduation rate?
51% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 75% return for their second year.
How long does a Dakota State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Dakota State University costs about $82,026 after grants ($19,165 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $50,970 ten years after starting, $15,173 more than high school graduates in South Dakota ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 5.4 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Dakota State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/dakota-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).