University of South Dakota — College Profile

About

As South Dakota’s flagship university, the University of South Dakota (USD) is best known for housing the state’s only medical and law schools, alongside acclaimed undergraduate programs in the Beacom School of Business, health sciences, and the arts. Setting USD apart is its distinctive blend of research opportunities and unique cultural assets, most notably the world-renowned National Music Museum located right on campus. Student life in the historic college town of Vermillion is tight-knit and vibrant, driven by NCAA Division I Coyote athletics, active Greek life, and deeply rooted traditions like the annual "Dakota Days" homecoming celebration.

Wikipedia:The University of South Dakota (USD) is a public research university in Vermillion, South Dakota, United States. Established by the Dakota Territory legislature in 1862, 27 years before the establishment of the state of South Dakota, USD is the flagship university of South Dakota and the state's oldest public university. It occupies a 274 acres (1.11 km2) campus located in southeastern South Dakota, approximately 63 miles (101 km) south of Sioux Falls, 39 miles (63 km) northwest of Sioux City, Iowa, and north of the Missouri River.

Location

Vermillion, SD, 57069-2390 · Town campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

OMA · Omaha

115 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$9,432$12,942

Housing & food (on campus)$10,356$10,356

Books & supplies$1,000$1,000

Cost of attendance$24,422$30,570

Average net price$19,858Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$12,942

In-state: $9,432

Housing & food (on campus)$10,356

Books & supplies$1,000

Cost of attendance$30,570

In-state: $24,422

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $19,858

Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.usd.edu

How it’s made up · out-of-state

Tuition$13,616

Fees$510

Books & supplies$800

Personal expenses$2,424

Transportation$1,914

Total published by the school$30,570

Source: www.usd.edu · checked Sep 13, 2026

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$14,921

$30–48k

$15,942

$48–75k

$18,540

$75–110k

$21,202

$110k+

$22,193

Your family's actual price → University of South Dakota net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2024-25

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$2,684

First-years who got one385

Source: University of South Dakota's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

61%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

47%

Back for yr 2

79%

Transferred

25%

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

59% graduated · 26% transferred · 15% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$46,290

10 yrs after entry$51,926

Debt

Median at graduation$23,592

Monthly payment$250

Middle 50% owe$6.4k–$27k

90th percentile$34,854

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

99%

Test policy

Test optional

Per College Scorecard

SAT average

1125

R 530–620 · M 595–695

ACT midpoint

Comp 19–25 · E 17–25 · M 18–25

SAT middle 50%: 1125–1315

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If University of South Dakota asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 36%Women 64%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

16 : 1

Pell grant

19%

First-gen

24%

Family income

$64,843

Independent

18%

Age at entry

21.0

Part-time

12%

Race & ethnicity

White

76%

Hispanic

Black

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

AI/AN

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division I-FCS · EADA 2024-25

Basketball
Men's · Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Other Sports
Women's
Soccer
Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming and Diving (combined)
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$46,290

After 10 yrs

$51,926

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing162

Psychology, General82

Business Administration, Management and Operations80

Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General77

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods75

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness69

Biology, General62

Accounting and Related Services57

Criminal Justice and Corrections55

Finance and Financial Management Services55

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions54

Communication and Media Studies51

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities45

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services34

Marketing34

Dental Support Services and Allied Professions32

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$318M

Full-time faculty

65%

Faculty salary

$9,264/mo

Teaching spend

$11,862

per student

Federal loans

40%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R2 — high research

$29M research spending · 58 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile