Dakota State University
Dakota State University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Dakota State University Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in South Dakota
- #2 Best Online MBAs South Dakota
- #4 Best Grad Schools in South Dakota 2026
- #5 Best Online Associate Degree Programs in South Dakota
- #5 Best Public Colleges in South Dakota 2026
- #6 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in Wyoming
- #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in South Dakota
- #7 Best Small Colleges in South Dakota 2026
- #7 Most Affordable Colleges in South Dakota 2026
- #8 South Dakota's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #9 Best Colleges in South Dakota
- #10 South Dakota's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #10 Fastest Accelerated Online Doctorate of Cybersecurity
- #10 Best Online Computer Sciences PhDs
- #10 Best Online Information Technology PhDs
- #15 15 Most Affordable Online PhD in Information Technology Degree Programs
About Dakota State University
According to Wikipedia, Dakota State University is a public university in Madison, South Dakota. The school was founded in 1881 as a normal school, or teacher training school. Education is still the university's heritage mission, but a signature mission of technology was added by the state legislature in 1984 to specialize in "programs in computer management, computer information systems, and other related undergraduate and graduate programs."
Dakota State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 988 | 88% | 75% | 49% | 1315 | 23 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Dakota State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $9,938 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $16,949 |
| 30K - 48K | $14,960 |
| 48K - 75K | $17,580 |
| 75K - 110K | $21,322 |
| 110K+ | $22,989 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Dakota State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Dakota State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $53,378 a year, and 93% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Dakota State University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 5,644 | 4,186 | 1,458 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Dakota State University?
Dakota State University is located at 820 N Washington Ave, Madison, SD 57042-1799.
How Safe is Dakota State University?
No violent or property offenses were reported on Dakota State University’s campus in 2024. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Dakota State University has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Madison has a violent crime rate of 0.15% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 0.79%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Dakota State University Known For?
Dakota State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Computer Science
- Biology
- Physics
- Sociology
- Business
- Education
- Medical
- Political Science
- Mathematics
- Literature
Dakota State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Dakota State University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Dakota State University ranks #411 in the U.S. and #1909 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesDakota State University ranks #1036 in the U.S. and #4344 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesDakota State University ranks #1106 in the U.S. and #4473 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesDakota State University ranks #1169 in the U.S. and #3852 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesDakota State University ranks #1678 in the U.S. and #6039 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesDakota State University ranks #1942 in the U.S. and #7371 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesDakota State University ranks #2081 in the U.S. and #7223 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesDakota State University ranks #2143 in the U.S. and #9094 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesDakota State University ranks #2196 in the U.S. and #8007 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesDakota State University ranks #2802 in the U.S. and #9281 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature Degrees