# South Dakota State University

Public college in Brookings, SD. IPEDS ID 219356.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/south-dakota-state-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/south-dakota-state-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 98% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $19,841 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 62%; beats 83% of SD colleges and 65% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $55,070; beats 83% of SD colleges and 56% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $16,246

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $14,266 |
| 30-48k | $15,248 |
| 48-75k | $18,073 |
| 75-110k | $20,706 |
| 110k+ | $21,886 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.32 years on average (42% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $55,070 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SD (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $24,636 in-state; about $28,146 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $9,299 in-state, $12,809 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $9,562; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 530–610; SAT math: 530–630; ACT: 19–25 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 5,884 applicants, 5,808 admitted, 2,274 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 98%, ACT 19–25 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 99%, ACT 19–26 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (79 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | not reported | $122,169 | $26,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | not reported | $103,018 | not reported |
| Construction Engineering Technology / Technician | $77,949 | $93,195 | $25,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $67,791 | $87,704 | $27,000 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $73,770 | $83,815 | $22,748 |
| Civil Engineering | $69,129 | $82,486 | $27,000 |
| Agricultural Engineering | not reported | $79,322 | not reported |
| Plant Sciences | $58,787 | $78,494 | $23,125 |
| Nursing | $71,758 | $77,932 | $28,000 |
| Medical Laboratory Science | $69,255 | $73,360 | $31,000 |
| Political Science | $34,337 | $70,727 | $25,000 |
| Agricultural Mechanization | $47,492 | $67,746 | $22,000 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $39,795 | $67,607 | $27,000 |
| Agricultural Business | $51,222 | $67,425 | $22,557 |
| Mathematics | $46,520 | $67,059 | $18,000 |
| Economics | $44,663 | $64,432 | $26,062 |
| Architecture | $41,781 | $63,978 | $27,000 |
| Agriculture | $49,781 | $61,132 | $20,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $43,563 | $60,081 | $29,731 |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | $57,986 | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | $43,904 | $57,725 | $26,031 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $41,019 | $56,400 | $25,500 |
| Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies | $44,891 | $56,132 | $23,789 |
| Communications | $39,173 | $55,345 | $25,500 |
| Dietetics | not reported | $54,646 | not reported |
| Biology | $32,940 | $54,446 | $27,000 |
| Animal Sciences | $44,844 | $53,784 | $23,162 |
| Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design | $35,944 | $52,630 | $27,000 |
| Sociology | $40,236 | $51,910 | $26,000 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | $39,483 | $50,623 | $24,798 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | not reported | $50,420 | not reported |
| English | $37,252 | $50,335 | $25,200 |
| Psychology | $35,425 | $50,210 | $25,608 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $45,625 | $50,076 | $26,000 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | $38,076 | $48,319 | $25,093 |
| History | $33,135 | $46,502 | $26,977 |
| Human Development and Family Studies | $37,123 | $46,487 | $24,500 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $43,530 | $43,934 | $25,937 |
| Hospitality Management | $32,512 | $40,969 | $27,000 |
| Agricultural Production Operations | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Agricultural Public Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Food Science and Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| City / Urban, Community, and Regional Planning | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Landscape Architecture | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Journalism | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Engineering-Related Fields | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Apparel and Textiles | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | $45,770 | not reported | $26,718 |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biotechnology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Statistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography and Environmental Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Criminology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geography | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Air Transportation | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Studio Art | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Public Health | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Administration | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Business Economics | $45,123 | not reported | $23,573 |
| Construction Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage not reported (metro), $78,060 (SD), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration → Pharmacist: median wage not reported (metro), $146,790 (SD), $140,910 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).