Dakota State University
Madison, SD · Public · Town (distant) · DSU · Dakota State
Public institution in Madison, SD · 1,969 undergraduates · 98% acceptance rate · $50,970 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 21%Out-of-state tuition & fees
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $19,7251,052nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $9,633552nd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $12,735431st cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $24,447649th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $23,5001,090th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $50,9701,025th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $46,146786th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 49.3%1,196th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 75.3%956th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 97.9%1,501st most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1129581st highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 23494th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 1,969946th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 19.0:11,815th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 16.0%1,897th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 201 mi (MSP)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 24 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and ManagementComputer Science | bachelors | $53,358 | $51,035 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $50,543 | $55,964 |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $47,260 | $46,087 |
| Information Science/StudiesComputer Science | bachelors | $47,260 | $55,964 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesHealth Professions | bachelors | $43,575 | $41,205 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $41,349 | $39,369 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $40,551 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $39,729 | $42,682 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $39,153 | $39,153 |
| Special Education and TeachingEducation | bachelors | $37,208 | $38,721 |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $33,565 | $22,192 |
| Computer Software and Media ApplicationsComputer Science | bachelors | $26,933 | $28,598 |
Campus facts
Athletics — 9 sports
NAIA Division I · NAIA
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $1,014,607 (M $642,721 · W $339,886 · Coed $32,000)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Football
- Other Sports
- Softball
- Track and Field (Indoor)
- Track and Field (Outdoor)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitedsu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 219082)
- Compare colleges in SDRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in South DakotaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Dakota State University vs Black Hills State UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 9 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.