# University of South Dakota (USD)

Public college in Vermillion, SD. IPEDS ID 219471.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-dakota · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/university-of-south-dakota.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 99% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $19,858 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 60%; beats 75% of SD colleges and 61% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $51,926; beats 58% of SD colleges and 46% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $17,500

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $14,921 |
| 30-48k | $15,942 |
| 48-75k | $18,540 |
| 75-110k | $21,202 |
| 110k+ | $22,193 |

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 4.24 years on average (48% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $51,926 (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 | $14,921 | $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 |

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

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $24,422 in-state; about $27,932 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $9,432 in-state, $12,942 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $9,060; books: $1,200

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 530–620; SAT math: 595–695; ACT: 19–25 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 5,349 applicants, 5,293 admitted, 1,359 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 99%, ACT 19–25 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 99%, ACT 19–25 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (49 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health Administration | not reported | $74,816 | not reported |
| Nursing | $71,758 | $73,025 | $28,644 |
| Economics | $52,857 | $71,463 | $20,819 |
| Accounting | $57,234 | $71,179 | $25,793 |
| Finance | $49,472 | $70,100 | $24,320 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | $61,265 | $68,556 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $47,107 | $64,890 | $22,950 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | not reported | $64,104 | not reported |
| Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders | not reported | $64,069 | $25,000 |
| Health Sciences | $44,109 | $61,518 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $31,973 | $61,362 | $26,000 |
| Biology | $30,167 | $58,099 | $23,250 |
| Criminal Justice | $40,402 | $58,046 | $25,000 |
| Marketing | $48,060 | $55,261 | $26,000 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | $41,191 | $52,211 | $26,000 |
| Communications | $35,792 | $52,100 | $26,000 |
| Psychology | $31,696 | $50,993 | $24,593 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $35,907 | $50,306 | $30,092 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $42,543 | $50,270 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $43,790 | $46,034 | $27,000 |
| Special Education | $46,439 | $45,415 | $27,000 |
| History | $28,431 | $45,096 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $25,327 | $43,945 | $27,000 |
| English | $26,957 | $31,155 | $26,000 |
| Ethnic / Gender Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biomedical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Legal Studies / Paralegal | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biochemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Neuroscience | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mathematics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| International / Global Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sustainability Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Sociology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | $33,852 | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Medical Laboratory Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Entrepreneurship | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Human Resources | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Management Science / Analytics | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage not reported (metro), $78,060 (SD), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Accounting → Accountant / auditor: median wage not reported (metro), $78,880 (SD), $83,680 (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).