$55,070
median earnings, 10 years after starting
South Dakota State University is a public 4-year college in Brookings, South Dakota with 9,198 undergraduates and 1,337 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $19,841 a year (tuition and fees $9,299 in-state, $12,809 out-of-state). It admits 98% of applicants and 62% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $55,070 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $23,250 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$19,841
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$9,299
Out-of-state $12,809
Admission rate
98%
US median 78%
Completion rate
62%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$23,250
About $246 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$55,070
Rank 1,095 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
- $19,841
- Tuition in-state
- $9,299
- Tuition out-of-state
- $12,809
- Cost of attendance
- $24,636
- Students with a need-based grant
- 17%
- Students with federal loans
- 43%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $14,266
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $15,248
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $18,073
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $20,706
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $21,886
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 $8,172 in 2015-16 to $9,299 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
- 98%
- Average SAT
- 1,120
- SAT reading, middle
- 540
- SAT math, middle
- 560
- ACT, middle
- 22
- Undergraduates
- 9,198
- Graduate students
- 1,337
- Part-time students
- 12%
- Women
- 54%
- Students per teacher
- 17
- Completion rate
- 62%
- Retention rate
- 84%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 206
- Endowment
- $269.1M
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 1,095 of 5,094 US colleges and 3 of 21 in South Dakota (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | SD median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $19,841 | $18,146 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $9,299 | $8,845 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 98% | 85% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 62% | 54% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 84% | 78% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $23,250 | $23,250 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $49,564 | $43,427 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $55,070 | $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. 76% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 80% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
206 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 290 | $23,500 | $71,758 | $77,932 | $88,910 |
| Animal SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 101 | $21,349 | $44,844 | $53,784 | $49,634 |
| Business/Managerial EconomicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 87 | $20,500 | $45,123 | Withheld | $77,981 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 83 | $25,875 | $32,940 | $54,446 | $57,214 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 81 | $25,000 | $35,425 | $50,210 | $50,706 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 72 | $27,000 | $67,791 | $87,704 | $92,135 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 67 | $24,313 | $43,530 | $43,934 | $47,382 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 66 | $12,000 | $20,704 | $45,438 | $44,125 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationProfessional | Professional | 66 | Withheld | Withheld | $132,655 | $138,348 |
| Agriculture, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 60 | $19,500 | $49,781 | $61,132 | $53,676 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 60 | $25,000 | Withheld | $122,169 | $116,539 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 56 | $22,562 | $37,123 | $46,487 | $48,568 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 53 | $24,068 | $41,019 | $56,400 | $54,562 |
| Civil EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 47 | $23,250 | $69,129 | $82,486 | $86,517 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 42 | $24,250 | $45,625 | $50,076 | $51,389 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 37 | $20,250 | $39,483 | $50,623 | $45,338 |
| Plant SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 36 | $22,125 | $58,787 | $78,494 | $56,567 |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 34 | $22,000 | $51,222 | $67,425 | $66,647 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 33 | $20,162 | $43,563 | $60,081 | $53,072 |
| Agriculture, GeneralAssociate's | Associate's | 31 | Withheld | Withheld | $63,218 | $45,683 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $27,000 | $35,944 | $52,630 | $51,490 |
| Air TransportationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $85,825 |
| StatisticsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 28 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $92,425 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $26,500 | $69,255 | $73,360 | $75,975 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's | Master's | 25 | $40,952 | $45,975 | $57,278 | $65,184 |
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 South Dakota State University cost?
$19,841 a year is the average net price at South Dakota State University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $9,299 for in-state students and $12,809 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $24,636. Families earning under $30,000 pay $14,266 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at South Dakota State University?
98% of applicants are admitted to South Dakota State University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,120 and the middle ACT score is 22. The median admission rate of colleges in South Dakota is 85%.
How much do South Dakota State University graduates earn?
$55,070 a year is the median pay of former South Dakota State University students who work, 10 years after they started ($49,564 after 6 years). That ranks 1,095 of 5,094 US colleges and 3 of 21 in South Dakota. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Professional) at $119,763.
How much student debt do South Dakota State University graduates have?
$23,250 is the median federal student loan debt of South Dakota State University graduates, about $246 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 43% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at South Dakota State University?
62% of first-time, full-time students at South Dakota State University finish within 6 years. 84% 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 South Dakota State University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (290 bachelor's graduates), Animal Sciences (101 bachelor's graduates), Business/Managerial Economics (87 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 206 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.