More selective than 11% 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 $24,636. College Scorecard.
Higher than 83% of South Dakota colleges we cover and 65% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 83% of South Dakota colleges we cover and 56% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
South Dakota State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 5,884 applicants, South Dakota State University admitted 5,808 and 2,274 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1060–1240 on the SAT or 19–25 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
South 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 South Dakota State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of South 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 | $14,266 | $61,629 | 3.2 years |
| $30–48k | $15,248 | $65,871 | 3.4 years |
| $48–75k | $18,073 | $78,075 | 4.1 years |
| $75–110k | $20,706 | $89,450 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $21,886 | $94,548 | 4.9 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (42% 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 ($55,070) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $19,273 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.
South Dakota State University majors, earnings & careers
South Dakota State University offers 79 bachelor's majors across 11 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 19
- Engineering · 11
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Health & Medicine · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Business & Finance · 7
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 1
- Trades & Applied Technology · 1
Highest-earning majors at South Dakota State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $122,169 | $26,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $103,018 | — |
| Construction Engineering Technology / Technician | $93,195 | $25,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $87,704 | $27,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $83,815 | $22,748 |
| Civil Engineering | $82,486 | $27,000 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $79,322 | — |
| Plant Sciences | $78,494 | $23,125 |
Quick list of all 79 majors
- Agricultural Business$67,425
- Agricultural Engineering$79,322
- Agricultural Mechanization$67,746
- Agricultural Production Operations—
- Agricultural Public Services—
- Agriculture$61,132
- Air Transportation—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Animal Sciences$53,784
- Apparel and Textiles—
- Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services—
- Architectural Sciences and Technology—
- Architecture$63,978
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$54,446
- Biotechnology—
- Business Administration—
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning—
- Civil Engineering$82,486
- Communications$55,345
- Computer and Information Sciences$83,815
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician$93,195
- Construction Management—
- Criminology—
- Dietetics$54,646
- Economics$64,432
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$43,934
- Education (Subject Teaching)$50,076
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Electrical Engineering$103,018
- Engineering-Related Fields—
- English$50,335
- Entrepreneurship$57,725
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$50,420
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies$56,132
- Food Science and Technology—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Geography—
- Geography and Environmental Studies—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$52,630
- Health Sciences—
- History$46,502
- Hospitality Management$40,969
- Human Development and Family Studies$46,487
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$56,400
- Landscape Architecture—
- Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$60,081
- Mathematics$67,059
- Mechanical Engineering$87,704
- Medical Laboratory Science$73,360
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Music—
- Nursing$77,932
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management$48,319
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies—
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$122,169
- Physics—
- Plant Sciences$78,494
- Political Science$70,727
- Psychology$50,210
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising$67,607
- Sociology$51,910
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$57,986
- Special Education—
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$50,623
— 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 →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration → Pharmacist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Brookings
2 bedrooms $1,066.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 25 inches of rain a year, 36 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Brookings County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Brookings County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State University | 98% | $19,841 | 62% | $55,070 | This school |
| University of South Dakota | 99% | $19,858 | 60% | $51,926 | |
| Black Hills State University | 96% | $15,911 | 43% | $46,674 | |
| Northern State University | 93% | $15,812 | 49% | $47,618 | |
| Dakota State University | 88% | $21,057 | 51% | $50,970 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
South Dakota State University would cost you $17 less per year than University of South Dakota, on average.
- Higher sticker price at South Dakota State University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$502).
- South Dakota State University gives aided families $231 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Dakota resident | South Dakota State University | USD | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,299 | $9,432 | −$133 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $9,562 | $9,060 | +$502 |
| Personal & travel | $4,683 | $4,947 | −$264 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$108 | −$217 | +$109 |
| Sticker price | $24,636 | $24,422 | +$214 |
| Average grants | −$4,795 | −$4,564 | −$231 |
| You pay | $19,841 | $19,858 | −$17 |
“+” means South 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 South Dakota State University
What is the South Dakota State University acceptance rate?
South Dakota State University accepts 98% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,808 of 5,884 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1060–1240 on the SAT or 19–25 on the ACT.
How much does South Dakota State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $24,636 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,841 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,266 and families earning $110k+ pay $21,886.
How much do South Dakota State University graduates earn?
Former South Dakota State University students earn a median $55,070 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the South Dakota State University graduation rate?
62% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for their second year.
How long does a South Dakota State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at South Dakota State University costs about $78,075 after grants ($18,073 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $55,070 ten years after starting, $19,273 more than high school graduates in South Dakota ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 4.1 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: “South Dakota State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/south-dakota-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).