South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD · Public
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See the full analysis — freeAdmission rate
South Dakota State University admitted 98.3% of applicants university-wide (7,166 of 7,287).
| Cohort | Admit rate | Admitted | Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|
| University-wide | 98.3% | 7,166 | 7,287 |
| Men | 98.0% | 3,526 | 3,598 |
| Women | 98.7% | 3,640 | 3,689 |
Also offers Early Action — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.
Of 7,166 admitted students, 2,441 enrolled (34.1% yield).
South Dakota State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.
Test scores and GPA of admitted students
- SAT (mid-50%)
- 993–1240
- ACT (mid-50%)
- 19–25
- GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
- 3.25–3.99
Testing policy: Recommended
South Dakota State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.
Cost and financial aid
Published cost of attendance: $26,444/yr.
| Out-of-state tuition | $11,283 |
| Fees, housing, food, books & other | $15,161 |
| Sticker cost of attendance | $26,444/yr |
Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)
| Under $30k | $14,266 |
| $30k–48k | $15,248 |
| $48k–75k | $18,073 |
| $75k–110k | $20,706 |
| Over $110k | $21,886 |
US applicants
Need- and merit-based aid available.
- Current Student Scholarships — Varies (Other)
- First-Time Student Scholarships — Varies (Other)
- Other SDSU Scholarships — Varies (Other)
- Transfer Student Scholarships — Varies (Other)
International applicants
No need-based aid reported for internationals.
- Current Student Scholarships — Varies (Other)
- First-Time Student Scholarships — Varies (Other)
- Other SDSU Scholarships — Varies (Other)
- Transfer Student Scholarships — Varies (Other)
South Dakota State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024
Application requirements
US applicants
- High School Transcript
- College Transcript
- SAT or ACT Scores (recommended)
- Application fee
International applicants
- High School Transcript
- College Transcript
- SAT or ACT Scores (recommended)
- Application fee
- English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
- GPA credential conversion
- Predicted Class XII marksheet
- Financial documentation (I-20)
South Dakota State University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025
Essay prompts
South Dakota State University requires no supplemental essays.
Prompts from the Own portal member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026
Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings
- $55,070
- Median earnings · 10 years after entry
- Graduation rate
- 62.4%
- Within 150% of normal time
- First-year retention
- 79.9%
- Return for year two · CDS Section B
- Median debt
- $23,250
- At graduation
South Dakota State University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.
Published rankings
- U.S. News National: #257
- WSJ: #443
- Niche: #426
Academics and campus
Largest degree fields: Engineering (7%), Biological & life sciences (7%), Business & marketing (6%).
Student–faculty ratio: 17:1 · 30% of class sections have under 20 students.
South Dakota State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.