Brookings, SD · Public · 9,198 undergraduates · town
South Dakota State University
Less selective
South Dakota's land-grant university is especially tied to agriculture, engineering, health, and the state's rural economy.
Institutional profile
Regionally focused Strongest in affordability and career outcomes.- Admission
- 98.7% admitted
- Price by income
- Resident and nonresident prices differ
- Completion
- 58.3%
5,884 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$55,070 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets South Dakota State University apart
Academic design
Agriculture, precision agriculture, engineering, nursing, pharmacy, and aviation are prominent professional pathways.
Campus pattern
Brookings offers a compact college-town setting surrounded by eastern South Dakota farmland.
Career & value signal
Programs connect directly with agriculture, food systems, engineering, and regional health employers.
Can I get in?
98.7% admitted
Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.
Recent applicant pool
5,884About 99 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 2% submitted an SAT, and 81% submitted an ACT. Treat the SAT range as a guide to the students who submitted that test, not to everyone admitted.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for South Dakota State University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What South Dakota State University weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Agriculture, precision agriculture, engineering, nursing, pharmacy, and aviation are prominent professional pathways.
Make institutional fit specific
South Dakota's land-grant university is especially tied to agriculture, engineering, health, and the state's rural economy.
Use the application route carefully
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and assemble each required item once.
$25 application fee
Major and program admission
Some fields have their own entry path.
The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.
Teacher preparationAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
NursingAdmits separately
What this program asks for, and when it closes.
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at South Dakota State University
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Admits separately
Animal Sciences
Admits separately
Business/Managerial Economics
Admits separately
Biology, General
Psychology, General
What is campus life like?
South Dakota State University beyond the classroom
Brookings offers a compact college-town setting surrounded by eastern South Dakota farmland.
A defining academic feature
Agriculture, precision agriculture, engineering, nursing, pharmacy, and aviation are prominent professional pathways.
What shapes an ordinary week
Brookings offers a compact college-town setting surrounded by eastern South Dakota farmland.
Where the degree can lead
Programs connect directly with agriculture, food systems, engineering, and regional health employers.