South Dakota State University

Basic Information

Type Public
Geographical Reach Regional
Population 50,000

Weather

Comfortable Days 95 (20%) very dry
Sunshine Hours 2,750 (74%)
Days Without Precipitation 270 (84%)

Honors College

Name Van D. and Barbara B. Fishback Honors College
Students 420 (5%)

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 8,408
Men / Women 46% / 54%
From State 51%
From Region 40%
Athletes 533 (6.6%)

Racial/Ethnic

White 84%
International 5%
Hispanic 3%
Mixed 2%
Native American 1%
Asian 1%
Black 1%

Schools & Majors

⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences 379 53% 95% 0% 0% 1% 0% $67,713 36 +0.32 77 96% 5.5%
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering 13 — 69% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $93,317 78 +0.25 95 100% — — — —
Agricultural Business 64 +2 55% 95% 0% 0% 2% 0% $72,659 40 -0.13 82 98% 5.5% — — —
Agricultural Economics — — — — — — — — $72,659 40 -0.13 82 98% 5.5% — — —
Agricultural Education 37 +1 5% 95% 3% 0% 3% 0% $55,749 2 -1.65 55 97% — — — —
Agricultural Systems Technology 21 — 95% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $79,164 61 +0.46 87 100% — — — —
Agriculture 40 +9 52% 95% 0% 0% 0% 0% $62,373 52 +0.08 69 93% — — — —
Agronomy 11 +2 91% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $92,994 100 +2.91 95 — — — — —
Agronomy and Crop Science 36 +3 78% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $82,672 99 +1.96 89 95% — — — —
Animal Science 71 +2 20% 92% 0% 0% 1% 0% $64,814 93 +1.09 73 93% — — — —
Dairy Science 5 +1 40% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $64,814 93 +1.09 73 93% — — — —
Environmental Management 17 +1 59% 82% 0% 0% 0% 0% $53,195 22 -0.69 49 100% — — — —
Food Science 1 — 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $70,470 79 +0.62 80 — — — — —
Horticulture 3 — 33% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $53,949 17 -0.70 51 97% — — — —
Natural Resources Management 4 — 75% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $53,195 22 -0.69 49 100% — — — —
Range Science and Management — — — — — — — — $82,672 99 +1.96 89 95% — — — —
Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences 31 +8 71% 94% 0% 0% 6% 0% $57,425 59 +0.29 59 100% — — — —
City and Regional Planning 1 — 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $69,572 57 +0.17 79 — — — — —
Landscape Architecture 8 — 75% 75% 0% 0% 0% 12% $68,283 49 +0.02 77 — — — — —
Conservation Law Enforcement 16 — 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $56,855 32 -0.42 58 — — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences 224 32% 83% 1% 1% 4% 4% $58,122 6 -0.25 61 96% 8.6%
Advertising 23 +1 48% 78% 0% 4% 4% 4% $81,637 66 +0.32 89 94% — — — —
American Indian and Indigenous Studies — — — — — — — — $52,346 31 -0.55 47 — — — — —
English 10 — 20% 50% 10% 0% 20% 0% $49,053 35 -0.41 38 90% — — — —
French — — — — — — — — $65,058 73 +0.63 73 100% — — — —
German 1 — 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $64,008 72 +0.53 72 — — — — —
History 13 — 62% 92% 0% 0% 8% 0% $57,131 61 +0.02 59 100% — — — —
Spanish 8 +3 12% 75% 12% 0% 0% 12% $65,058 73 +0.63 73 100% — — — —
Communication Studies 19 +3 32% 84% 0% 0% 5% 0% $48,571 7 -1.24 37 95% — — — —
Global Studies 2 +1 100% 0% 0% 0% 50% 50% $62,779 26 -0.52 70 — — — — —
Journalism 6 — 67% 67% 17% 0% 0% 17% $48,624 4 -1.53 37 96% — — — —
Political Science 13 +2 15% 85% 0% 0% 0% 8% $55,617 7 -1.22 55 95% — — — —
Psychology 59 — 24% 83% 0% 0% 5% 3% $55,220 55 +0.02 54 98% 9.0% — — —
Public Relations 5 +1 20% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $81,637 82 +0.92 89 94% — — — —
Graphic Design 16 — 25% 75% 0% 0% 6% 12% $64,359 69 +0.33 72 94% — — — —
Interior Design 12 — 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $64,359 29 -0.43 72 94% — — — —
Music 5 — 60% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $48,309 56 +0.17 36 — — — — —
Studio Art 5 — 20% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $46,854 53 +0.00 32 — — — — —
Theatre 8 — 50% 88% 0% 12% 0% 0% $45,146 67 +0.28 27 — — — — —
Criminology 19 +5 37% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $50,298 6 -1.32 41 95% 7.3% — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
College of Education and Human Sciences 229 31% 93% 0% 1% 3% 0% $57,979 6 +0.09 61 98% 7.4%
Human Nutrition — — — — — — — — $62,831 43 -0.11 70 — — — — —
Exercise Science 57 +1 40% 96% 0% 0% 4% 0% $71,633 85 +1.15 81 100% — — — —
Consumer Affairs 17 — 35% 82% 0% 0% 6% 0% $62,607 15 -0.78 69 100% — — — —
Park Management and Tourism 32 — 88% 88% 0% 6% 0% 0% $55,994 31 -0.42 56 100% — — — —
Human Development and Family Studies 46 — 2% 93% 0% 0% 0% 0% $49,207 21 -0.48 38 98% 7.7% — — —
Chemistry Education — — — — — — — — $55,749 52 -0.19 55 97% — — — —
Early Childhood Education 40 — 0% 92% 0% 0% 2% 0% $51,276 46 -0.15 44 95% 7.1% — — —
Elementary Education 11 — 0% 91% 0% 0% 9% 0% $51,276 46 -0.15 44 95% 7.1% — — —
Family and Consumer Sciences Education 3 — 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $55,749 39 -0.49 55 97% — — — —
Physical Education 5 — 60% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $55,749 45 -0.24 55 97% — — — —
Apparel Merchandising 3 — 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $59,072 36 -0.26 63 — — — — —
Music Education 15 — 73% 93% 0% 0% 7% 0% $55,749 88 +0.97 55 97% — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
College of Natural Sciences 218 54% 83% 2% 3% 2% 5% $66,729 34 -0.24 75 94% 5.9%
Data Science 27 — 74% 70% 4% 4% 0% 11% $80,391 9 -1.40 88 — — — — —
Chemistry 4 +3 100% 75% 0% 0% 25% 0% $68,638 37 -0.28 78 — — — — —
Mathematics 23 — 83% 96% 0% 4% 0% 0% $71,351 35 -0.53 81 94% — — — —
Physics 2 — 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $70,962 14 -0.91 80 — — — — —
Statistics — — — — — — — — $88,359 27 -0.64 92 — — — — —
Biochemistry 7 +2 43% 86% 0% 0% 0% 14% $66,978 25 -0.40 76 — — — — —
Biology - Pre-Health 81 +2 38% 88% 2% 0% 0% 4% $67,663 57 +0.14 77 95% — — — —
Biotechnology 1 +1 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $66,599 23 -0.44 75 — — — — —
Microbiology 6 +1 67% 83% 0% 0% 0% 17% $62,173 14 -1.09 68 94% — — — —
General Studies 33 — 48% 79% 3% 6% 0% 9% $59,130 68 +0.17 63 92% 5.9% — — —
Interdisciplinary Studies 18 — 39% 78% 0% 11% 0% 0% $58,734 66 +0.14 62 — — — — —
Geography and Geospatial Science 10 +5 70% 70% 0% 0% 20% 0% $57,876 29 -0.49 60 — — — — —
Geospatial Sciences 6 +6 67% 83% 0% 0% 17% 0% $57,073 26 -0.58 59 — — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
College of Nursing 321 15% 79% 3% 3% 6% 2% $82,949 80 -0.92 90 99% 4.2%
Nursing 321 — 15% 79% 3% 3% 6% 2% $82,949 12 -0.92 90 99% 4.2% — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions 98 26% 85% 6% 1% 1% 4% $97,409 93 +0.31 96 97% 4.9%
Nutrition and Dietetics 14 — 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $68,794 72 +0.46 78 89% — — — —
Medical Laboratory Science 35 — 20% 77% 17% 0% 0% 3% $77,330 53 -0.04 86 97% 4.9% — — —
Pharmaceutical Sciences 35 — 37% 86% 0% 0% 3% 9% $142,754 85 +0.84 100 99% — — — —
Public Health 9 — 44% 89% 0% 11% 0% 0% $63,754 49 -0.13 71 — — — — —
Respiratory Care 5 — 20% 80% 0% 0% 0% 0% $61,265 30 -0.57 67 95% — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Jerome J. Lohr College of Engineering 241 80% 84% 1% 2% 2% 7% $92,671 91 -0.24 94 99% 3.5%
Civil Engineering 31 — 90% 87% 0% 3% 0% 10% $86,216 15 -0.87 91 100% — — — —
Electrical Engineering 16 — 81% 94% 0% 0% 0% 6% $117,866 64 +0.04 99 100% — — — —
Mechanical Engineering 57 — 77% 84% 4% 0% 0% 7% $95,470 32 -0.47 95 100% — — — —
Computer Science 29 — 90% 66% 0% 3% 7% 24% $94,673 15 -0.89 95 93% — — — —
Engineering Management 19 — 84% 74% 0% 5% 11% 5% $76,167 61 -0.08 85 — — — — —
Architecture 28 — 46% 82% 0% 0% 7% 4% $68,860 53 +0.09 78 — — — — —
Aviation 24 — 79% 92% 0% 0% 0% 0% $110,462 81 +1.00 98 — — — — —
Construction Engineering Technology 27 — 96% 96% 0% 0% 0% 0% $97,145 36 -0.29 96 — 3.5% — — —
Construction Management — — — — — — — — $100,161 46 -0.03 97 — — — — —
Electronics Engineering Technology 10 — 90% 80% 0% 10% 0% 0% $93,878 68 +0.43 95 — — — — —
⇅ Ranked Trends Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn Accept SAT p25 SAT p75
Ness School of Management and Economics 121 60% 88% 0% 1% 3% 2% $70,068 44 -0.41 79 100%
Accounting 3 — 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $78,150 31 -0.57 86 — — — — —
Economics 4 — 100% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $69,892 9 -1.06 79 96% — — — —
Entrepreneurial Studies 5 — 60% 80% 0% 20% 0% 0% $61,294 24 -0.64 67 97% — — — —
Hospitality Management 4 — 25% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $46,228 3 -1.30 30 100% — — — —
Management 103 +1 60% 87% 0% 0% 4% 3% $71,188 45 -0.33 80 100% — — — —
Nonprofit Leadership 2 — 0% 100% 0% 0% 0% 0% $70,244 49 -0.25 80 95% — — — —
Organizational Leadership — — — — — — — — $69,699 34 -0.45 79 — — — — —

Financial

In-State Tuition & Fees $9,769
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees $13,627
Est. In-State Cost $12,637
Est. Out-of-State Cost $17,628
ROI Percentile 82th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 84%
4-Year Graduation Rate 46%
6-Year Graduation Rate 62%
Transfer-Out Rate 0%

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Academics

⇅ % Degrees Male White Asian Black Hispanic Intl Earnings Earn % Earn z ROI Employment Debt-to-Earn
Health Sciences 25.2% 462 21% 82% 4% 2% 5% 2% $85,049 77 -0.45 91 99% 4.3%
Agriculture & Food Science 19.4% 355 48% 95% 0% 0% 1% 0% $67,290 78 +0.36 76 96% 5.5%
Business & Economics 11.6% 212 63% 85% 0% 2% 4% 2% $69,147 23 -0.33 78 99% —
Social Sciences 9.1% 166 25% 84% 1% 0% 5% 3% $53,699 28 -0.45 50 97% 8.4%
Engineering 6.4% 117 80% 88% 2% 1% 0% 7% $95,842 20 -0.43 96 100% —
Arts 5.5% 101 43% 87% 0% 1% 4% 4% $61,351 86 +0.20 67 95% —
Professional 5.2% 96 80% 95% 0% 1% 0% 0% $84,147 83 -0.12 90 95% 5.1%
Life & Natural Sciences 5.2% 95 41% 87% 2% 0% 0% 5% $67,255 46 +0.02 76 95% —
Humanities 4.5% 83 42% 77% 4% 5% 4% 5% $58,147 67 +0.12 61 94% 5.9%
Education 3.2% 59 5% 93% 0% 0% 3% 0% $51,883 37 -0.18 45 95% 7.1%
Computer Science 3.1% 56 82% 68% 2% 4% 4% 18% $87,787 14 -1.13 92 93% —
Physical Sciences & Math 1.6% 29 86% 93% 0% 3% 3% 0% $70,950 28 -0.52 80 94% —

Research R2

⇅ Research $ Rank Federal Industry $ PhDs Rank PhD students Postdocs
Agriculture & Food Science $57.5M #34 40% $1.5M 20 #30 79 10
Engineering $8.5M #198 45% $0.2M 11 #172 71 3
Physical Sciences & Math $6.3M #206 72% $0.2M 7 #185 29 3
Life & Natural Sciences $4.5M #200 68% $0 6 #173 45 2
Health Sciences $1.9M #203 32% $0 1 #236 12 —
Humanities & Social Sciences $1.3M #298 52% $0 1 #322 1 3
Business & Economics $1.0M #213 47% $0 — — — 1
Education $0.3M #321 96% $0 — — — —
Computer Science $0.0M #456 66% $0 — — 10 —
Total $81.5M #167 45% $2.0M 46 #265 247 22

Expenditure and funding source: NSF HERD, FY2024. Degrees: IPEDS completions, 2023–24. Students and postdocs: NSF Survey of Graduate Students and Postdoctorates, fall 2024, which covers science, engineering and selected health fields only. An em dash means the source does not report the figure, which is not the same as zero.

Sports NCAA D1

⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Track & Field (combined) 149 $571K $571K $0
Football 114 $5.9M $5.9M $0
Baseball 40 $758K $758K $0
Wrestling 39 $1.1M $1.1M $0
Swimming & Diving 30 $286K $286K $0
Basketball 15 $2.6M $2.6M $0
Golf 8 $311K $311K $0
Total 311 $11.6M $11.6M $0
⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Track & Field (combined) 154 $887K $887K $0
Equestrian 34 $820K $820K $0
Swimming & Diving 33 $404K $404K $0
Softball 32 $810K $810K $0
Soccer 28 $914K $914K $0
Basketball 15 $2.2M $2.2M $0
Volleyball 15 $741K $741K $0
Golf 8 $369K $369K $0
Total 222 $7.1M $7.1M $0
⇅ Athletes ▼ Revenue Expenses Net
Track & Field (combined) 303 $1.5M $1.5M $0
Football 114 $5.9M $5.9M $0
Swimming & Diving 63 $691K $691K $0
Baseball 40 $758K $758K $0
Wrestling 39 $1.1M $1.1M $0
Equestrian 34 $820K $820K $0
Softball 32 $810K $810K $0
Basketball 30 $4.8M $4.8M $0
Soccer 28 $914K $914K $0
Golf 16 $681K $681K $0
Volleyball 15 $741K $741K $0
Total 533 $28.7M $28.7M $0

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Equity in Athletics Data Analysis. Each team's revenue and expenses are what the college attributes to it. The Total view's totals row is the department's grand total, which also includes money not attributed to any team; the Male and Female totals rows only add up their teams.

Admissions

Uses Common App No
Acceptance Rate 85%
Yield (non-ED) 33%
Regular Decision Jan 1

Acceptance Rates

In-State Out-of-State International
Regular Decision 85% 85% 85%

This college’s Common Data Set does not break down admissions by applicant demographics, so in-state, out-of-state, and international applicants share one Regular Decision rate.

Standardized Tests

Test Policy optional
Submitted Test Scores 77%
SAT Range 1060 – 1240
SAT Math Range 530 – 630
SAT RW Range 530 – 610