South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD · Public · Town (remote) · Carnegie R1/R2 · SDSU
Public institution in Brookings, SD · 8,798 undergraduates · 99% acceptance rate · $55,070 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 13%Undergraduates
- Top 21%Out-of-state tuition & fees
- Top 25%In-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
- $18,219918th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $9,299516th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $12,809437th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $22,761545th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $23,2501,040th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $55,070787th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $49,564563rd highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 59.6%793rd highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 82.9%540th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 98.7%1,523rd most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1121596th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 22605th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 8,798291st largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 17.0:11,598th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 16.1%1,890th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 179 mi (MSP)
On 2 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 76 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $80,628 | $74,576 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $62,598 | $61,322 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $58,943 | $59,124 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $57,995 | $74,845 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $57,770 | $56,234 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $57,564 | $57,860 |
| Construction Engineering TechnologiesEngineering Technology | bachelors | $54,948 | $56,776 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $52,107 | $43,798 |
| Agricultural MechanizationAgriculture | bachelors | $50,231 | $47,520 |
| Plant SciencesAgriculture | bachelors | $49,883 | $55,151 |
| Agricultural Business and ManagementAgriculture | bachelors | $44,468 | $45,340 |
| EconomicsSocial Sciences | bachelors | $43,054 | $42,682 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1881source
- Athletic nickname: "Jackrabbits"source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- Campus size: about 401 acressource
- Formerly known as "Dakota Agriculture College" (1881–1904)source
- Formerly known as "South Dakota State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts" (1904–1964)source
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Football rivalry: South Dakota Showdown Series (since 1889)source
- Fight song: ""Ring the Bells""source
- Notable alum: Theodore Schultzsource
- Notable alum: Kristi Noemsource
- Notable alum: Gene Amdahlsource
- Notable alum: Tom Daschlesource
- Notable alum: Mike Roundssource
Athletics — 11 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $4,586,507 (M $2,581,577 · W $2,004,930)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Equestrian
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
- Football: 2023, 2022
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitesdstate.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 219356)
- 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: South Dakota State University vs University of South DakotaHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 11 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.