Dakota State University
Madison, South Dakota · Also known as Dakota State · Website
$50,970
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$50,970
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Dakota State University is a public 4-year college in Madison, South Dakota with 2,071 undergraduates and 708 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $21,057 a year (tuition and fees $9,654 in-state, $12,756 out-of-state). It admits 88% of applicants and 51% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $50,970 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $23,500 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$21,057
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$9,654
Out-of-state $12,756
Admission rate
88%
US median 78%
Completion rate
51%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$23,500
About $249 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$50,970
Rank 1,410 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $21,057
- Tuition in-state
- $9,654
- Tuition out-of-state
- $12,756
- Cost of attendance
- $25,753
- Students with a need-based grant
- 17%
- Students with federal loans
- 34%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $17,317
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $18,792
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $19,165
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $22,601
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $23,269
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $7,974 in 2015-16 to $9,654 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 88%
- Average SAT
- 1,215
- SAT reading, middle
- 570
- SAT math, middle
- 553
- ACT, middle
- 23
- Undergraduates
- 2,071
- Graduate students
- 708
- Part-time students
- 23%
- Women
- 36%
- Students per teacher
- 18
- Completion rate
- 51%
- Retention rate
- 75%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 58
- Endowment
- $20.8M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,410 of 5,094 US colleges and 7 of 21 in South Dakota (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | SD median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $21,057 | $18,146 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $9,654 | $8,845 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 88% | 85% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 51% | 54% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 75% | 78% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $23,500 | $23,250 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $46,146 | $43,427 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $50,970 | $46,709 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 67% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 77% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
58 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 119 | $24,000 | $58,166 | $78,637 | $85,063 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralOnlineMaster's | Master's | 64 | Withheld | $83,446 | $137,285 | $124,201 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 62 | $20,059 | $61,287 | $85,696 | $92,374 |
| Information Science/StudiesOnlineMaster's | Master's | 40 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $112,705 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | $27,000 | $26,379 | $42,513 | $58,894 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementOnlineMaster's | Master's | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $121,855 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 22 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,726 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 20 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,984 |
| Information Science/StudiesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | $19,343 | $63,636 | $56,991 | $85,294 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | $25,500 | $41,119 | Withheld | $53,072 |
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 18 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $52,615 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 17 | $23,500 | $46,627 | $48,997 | $47,382 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,562 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,125 |
| Information Science/StudiesOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Special Education and TeachingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | $27,625 | $42,318 | $46,095 | $50,499 |
| MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | - | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | $20,508 | $44,748 | $69,841 | $68,257 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsCertificate | Certificate | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,400 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $76,194 |
| Educational/Instructional Media DesignOnlineMaster's | Master's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $70,644 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,389 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | $49,821 | $37,073 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $35,447 |
| MarketingOnlineBachelor's | Bachelor's | 7 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $69,303 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: South Dakota on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in South Dakota
- Homes: Homes for sale in South Dakota
Questions and answers
How much does Dakota State University cost?
$21,057 a year is the average net price at Dakota State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $9,654 for in-state students and $12,756 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $25,753. Families earning under $30,000 pay $17,317 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Dakota State University?
88% of applicants are admitted to Dakota State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,215 and the middle ACT score is 23. The median admission rate of colleges in South Dakota is 85%.
How much do Dakota State University graduates earn?
$50,970 a year is the median pay of former Dakota State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($46,146 after 6 years). That ranks 1,410 of 5,094 US colleges and 7 of 21 in South Dakota. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's) at $83,446.
How much student debt do Dakota State University graduates have?
$23,500 is the median federal student loan debt of Dakota State University graduates, about $249 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 34% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Dakota State University?
51% of first-time, full-time students at Dakota State University finish within 6 years. 75% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at Dakota State University?
Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (119 bachelor's graduates), Computer and Information Sciences, General (64 master's graduates), Computer and Information Sciences, General (62 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 58 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.