University of South Dakota
Vermillion, SD · Public · Town (distant) · Carnegie R1/R2 · USD
Public institution in Vermillion, SD · 5,239 undergraduates · 99% acceptance rate · $51,926 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 22%Out-of-state tuition & fees
- Top 22%Undergraduates
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
- $19,1551,002nd cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $9,432528th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $12,942441st cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $23,544591st cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $23,5921,097th lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $51,926965th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $46,290779th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 61.4%718th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 80.0%670th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 99.0%1,518th most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1122593rd highest of 1,022 reporting
- Median ACT
- 22604th highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 5,239482nd largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 14.0:11,158th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 18.0%1,807th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 235 mi (MSP)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 45 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $57,318 | $57,693 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied ProfessionsHealth Professions | bachelors | $56,415 | $54,252 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesHealth Professions | bachelors | $44,021 | $44,021 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $43,957 | $44,971 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $41,565 | $40,641 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $41,044 | $38,048 |
| Special Education and TeachingEducation | bachelors | $39,801 | $39,369 |
| EconomicsSocial Sciences | bachelors | $39,009 | $39,729 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $37,928 | $38,739 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $37,896 | $38,289 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $37,640 | $39,249 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $37,424 | $41,565 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1862source
- Athletic nickname: "Coyotes"source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Whitesource
- Mascot: Charlie Coyotesource
- Motto: "Veritas (Latin)"source
- Campus size: about 274 acressource
- Formerly known as "University of Dakota" (1862–1891)source
- Athletic conference: FCSsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Plays for the "Sitting Bull Trophy" (since 1903)source
- Football rivalry: South Dakota Showdown Series (since 1889)source
- Plays for the "Homestake Trophy" (since 1895)source
- Fight song: ""Hail South Dakota""source
- Notable alum: Ernest Lawrencesource
- Notable alum: John Thunesource
- Notable alum: Tom Brokawsource
- Notable alum: Tim Johnsonsource
Athletics — 10 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $5,659,057 (M $2,861,467 · W $2,797,590)
- Basketball
- Football
- Golf
- Other Sports
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to University of South Dakota’s 5,239 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In SD
- South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyRapid City, SD · 2,042 undergrads
- Dakota State UniversityMadison, SD · 1,969 undergrads
- Black Hills State UniversitySpearfish, SD · 1,935 undergrads
- Augustana UniversitySioux Falls, SD · 1,818 undergrads
- South Dakota State UniversityBrookings, SD · 8,798 undergrads
- University of Sioux FallsSioux Falls, SD · 1,258 undergrads
Elsewhere
- California State University-Channel IslandsCamarillo, CA · 5,230 undergrads
- Park UniversityParkville, MO · 5,250 undergrads
- Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh, PA · 5,216 undergrads
- Bowie State UniversityBowie, MD · 5,207 undergrads
- Augusta UniversityAugusta, GA · 5,282 undergrads
- Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeCincinnati, OH · 5,283 undergrads
Key links
- Official websiteusd.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 219471)
- 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
- Compare with South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologySide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: University of South Dakota vs South Dakota School of Mines and TechnologyHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 10 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.