More selective than 0% 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 $24,422. College Scorecard.
Higher than 75% of South Dakota colleges we cover and 61% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 58% of South Dakota colleges we cover and 46% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
USD acceptance rate & admissions
Of 5,349 applicants, University of South Dakota admitted 5,293 and 1,359 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1125–1315 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
USD 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 USD costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of South Dakota took 4.2 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 | $14,921 | $63,265 | 3.9 years |
| $30–48k | $15,942 | $67,594 | 4.2 years |
| $48–75k | $18,540 | $78,610 | 4.9 years |
| $75–110k | $21,202 | $89,896 | 5.6 years |
| $110k+ | $22,193 | $94,098 | 5.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (48% 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 ($51,926) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SD (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,129 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.
USD majors, earnings & careers
University of South Dakota offers 49 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Health & Medicine · 9
- Business & Finance · 8
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at USD
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Health Administration | $74,816 | — |
| Nursing | $73,025 | $28,644 |
| Economics | $71,463 | $20,819 |
| Accounting | $71,179 | $25,793 |
| Finance | $70,100 | $24,320 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $68,556 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $64,890 | $22,950 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $64,104 | — |
Quick list of all 49 majors
- Accounting$71,179
- Anthropology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$58,099
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Business Administration$64,890
- Chemistry—
- Communications$52,100
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice$58,046
- Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$68,556
- Economics$71,463
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$46,034
- Education (Subject Teaching)$50,270
- English$31,155
- Entrepreneurship—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$70,100
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- Health Administration$74,816
- Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities—
- Health Sciences$61,518
- History$45,096
- Human Resources—
- International / Global Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$50,306
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing$55,261
- Mathematics—
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$52,211
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$73,025
- Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$64,104
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$61,362
- Psychology$50,993
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education$45,415
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders$64,069
- Studio Art$43,945
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre—
— 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
Accounting → Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Vermillion
2 bedrooms $1,022.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 28 inches of rain a year, 36 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Clay County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Clay County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare USD 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Dakota | 99% | $19,858 | 60% | $51,926 | This school |
| South Dakota State University | 98% | $19,841 | 62% | $55,070 | |
| Black Hills State University | 96% | $15,911 | 43% | $46,674 | |
| Dakota State University | 88% | $21,057 | 51% | $50,970 | |
| Northern State University | 93% | $15,812 | 49% | $47,618 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of South Dakota would cost you $17 more per year than South Dakota State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at University of South Dakota, mostly from lower housing & meal costs (−$502).
- South Dakota State University gives aided families $231 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Dakota resident | USD | South Dakota State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $9,432 | $9,299 | +$133 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,200 | $0 |
| Housing & meals | $9,060 | $9,562 | −$502 |
| Personal & travel | $4,947 | $4,683 | +$264 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$217 | −$108 | −$109 |
| Sticker price | $24,422 | $24,636 | −$214 |
| Average grants | −$4,564 | −$4,795 | +$231 |
| You pay | $19,858 | $19,841 | +$17 |
“+” means USD 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 USD
What is the USD acceptance rate?
University of South Dakota accepts 99% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,293 of 5,349 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1125–1315 on the SAT or 19–25 on the ACT.
How much does University of South Dakota cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $24,422 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,858 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $14,921 and families earning $110k+ pay $22,193.
How much do USD graduates earn?
Former University of South Dakota students earn a median $51,926 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the USD graduation rate?
60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
How long does a USD degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of South Dakota costs about $78,610 after grants ($18,540 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $51,926 ten years after starting, $16,129 more than high school graduates in South Dakota ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 4.9 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: “University of South Dakota: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-dakota (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).