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University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota · Public, a town some way from a city · 5,439 undergraduates

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Is it hard to get into South Dakota?

The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.

Acceptance rate
98.8%
5,349 applied
SAT, middle half
1125 to 1315
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
19 to 25
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
Admission needs one of: GPA 2.6 or higher, top 50% class rank, or ACT 21 / SAT 1070. A score is one route, not a requirement.
What they look at
  • High school GPAConsidered
  • Class rankConsidered
  • Courses takenRequired
  • College-prep programRequired
  • RecommendationsConsidered

How much does South Dakota cost?

Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.

Tuition and fees, South Dakota residents
$9,687
Tuition and fees, out of state
$13,299
A full year, sticker price
$25,752
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$20,028
Students who got federal aid

What a year cost, by family income

Family incomeAverage paid after grants
Under $30,000$16,823
$30,001 to $48,000$15,550
$48,001 to $75,000$17,356
$75,001 to $110,000$20,898
Over $110,000$23,148
Room and board on campus
$10,590 a year; $11,244 off campus
Books and supplies
$800 a year
The school's own grants
70% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $3,709

Tuition over the years

Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.

$0K$4K$8K$12K$16K201220142016201820202022Out of stateSouth Dakota residents

How much do South Dakota students borrow?

Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.

Typical debt at graduation
$22,000
About $250 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
36.6%
Get a Pell Grant
20.3%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
7.2%

What do South Dakota graduates earn?

Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.

Six years after starting
$50,172
Ten years after starting
$58,316
Middle half: $41,589 to $79,440
Best-paid program, five years out
$79,008
Finance and Financial Management Services
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$43,395
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

Do South Dakota students finish?

Of the students who started full time, first time.

Back for second year
79.3%
Graduate in six years
59.9%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
56% graduated
25% transferred, 0% still enrolled

Who goes to South Dakota?

Women
64.5%
First in their family at college
24.3%
Part-time
12.5%
Students per teacher
16
Background
White 76%, Hispanic 6%, Black 4%, Asian 2%, Two or more 3%, International 7%, Native American 2%
Housing
Campus housing, 2,128 beds

What do South Dakota graduates earn, by program?

Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.

Computer science

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Computer and Information Sciences, General23HiddenHiddenHidden

Engineering

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Biomedical/Medical Engineering11HiddenHiddenHidden

Business and commerce

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Accounting and Related Services115$54,403$75,587$19,096
Business Administration, Management and Operations173$50,062$68,908$21,625
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations9HiddenHiddenHidden
Finance and Financial Management Services105$49,843$79,008$19,500
Human Resources Management and Services9HiddenHiddenHidden
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods25HiddenHiddenHidden
Marketing61$45,791$60,089$22,852

Nursing

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing288$74,978$74,814$25,500

Health sciences and kinesiology

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions9HiddenHiddenHidden
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services56Hidden$67,772$19,500
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions63$69,364$66,616$20,000
Health and Medical Administrative Services25$53,797$69,672Hidden
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General151$48,416$64,628$20,470
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions96$43,698$56,520$20,750
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness128$39,359Hidden$20,546

Life sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology2HiddenHiddenHidden
Biology, General129$31,576$61,828$25,000
Neurobiology and Neurosciences13HiddenHiddenHidden

Math and physical sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Chemistry10HiddenHiddenHidden
Mathematics11HiddenHiddenHidden
Physics6HiddenHiddenHidden

Social sciences

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Anthropology18HiddenHiddenHidden
Communication and Media Studies108$42,919$55,487$22,250
Criminal Justice and Corrections109$47,711$58,638$25,000
Economics31HiddenHidden$25,000
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies3HiddenHiddenHidden
Non-Professional Legal Studies4HiddenHiddenHidden
Political Science and Government57$42,892$65,250$20,500
Psychology, General157$37,633$53,035$22,400
Sociology27HiddenHiddenHidden

Arts and humanities

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
English Language and Literature, General28$37,856HiddenHidden
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics2HiddenHiddenHidden
History22Hidden$48,120Hidden
Philosophy4HiddenHiddenHidden
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics11HiddenHiddenHidden

Education (teaching)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Special Education and Teaching19$47,912$46,183Hidden
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods131$47,492$47,035$22,500
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas22$44,768$51,734Hidden

Fine and performing arts

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft16$28,760HiddenHidden
Fine and Studio Arts36$38,949$47,992$24,750
Music11HiddenHiddenHidden

General arts and science (major chosen later)

ProgramGraduatesPay, one year outPay, five years outDebt
International/Globalization Studies7HiddenHiddenHidden
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities83$45,483$43,395$23,442
Sustainability Studies16HiddenHiddenHidden

Compare South Dakota with other universities

Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.

Or the list of every university, by state.

Where these numbers come from

College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.

How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.

Careerhelp is not affiliated with University of South Dakota. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.

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