South Dakota State University
South 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
South Dakota State University Featured Rankings
- #2 South Dakota's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #2 South Dakota's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #2 Best Online Associate Degree Programs in South Dakota
- #2 Best Grad Schools in South Dakota 2026
- #2 Best Research Universities in South Dakota 2026
- #2 Best Colleges in South Dakota
- #2 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #2 Most Affordable Colleges in South Dakota 2026
- #2 Best Public Colleges in South Dakota 2026
- #7 Best Online Degree Completion Programs
- #13 Most Affordable Online Nursing Bachelors
- #14 20 Most Affordable Online Master's of Nursing Degree Programs
About South Dakota State University
According to Wikipedia, South Dakota State University is a public land-grant research university in Brookings, South Dakota. Founded in 1881, it is the state's largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually operating university in South Dakota. The university is governed by the South Dakota Board of Regents, which governs the state's six public universities and two special schools.
South Dakota State University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,884 | 98% | 84% | 62% | 1150 | 22 |
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 South Dakota State University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $9,554 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $15,233 |
| 30K - 48K | $14,202 |
| 48K - 75K | $16,046 |
| 75K - 110K | $19,627 |
| 110K+ | $21,821 |
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 South Dakota State University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former South Dakota State University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $58,802 a year, and 96% 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.
South 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 13,773 | 12,095 | 1,678 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is South Dakota State University?
South Dakota State University is located at 1004 Campanile Ave, Brookings, SD 57007-1898.
How Safe is South Dakota State University?
Relative to its enrollment, South Dakota State University has a violent crime rate of 0.03% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Brookings has a violent crime rate of 0.09% and a property crime rate of 1.18%. 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 South Dakota State University Known For?
South Dakota State University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Economics
- Biology
- Nursing
- Engineering
- Physics
- Political Science
- Education
- Psychology
- Business
- History
- Sociology
- Chemistry
- Law
- Computer Science
- Communications
- Literature
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Mathematics
South Dakota State University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much South 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
South Dakota State University ranks #142 in the U.S. and #625 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #217 in the U.S. and #781 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #239 in the U.S. and #654 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #334 in the U.S. and #2063 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #397 in the U.S. and #1780 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #423 in the U.S. and #1707 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #457 in the U.S. and #2015 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #550 in the U.S. and #1428 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #591 in the U.S. and #2201 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #603 in the U.S. and #1788 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #665 in the U.S. and #2265 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #672 in the U.S. and #3150 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #706 in the U.S. and #2475 worldwide for influence in Law.
South Dakota State University ranks #733 in the U.S. and #3288 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #739 in the U.S. and #2758 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #774 in the U.S. and #2328 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #897 in the U.S. and #1692 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #1001 in the U.S. and #3458 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesSouth Dakota State University ranks #1060 in the U.S. and #4106 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWho Are South Dakota State University's Most Influential Alumni?
South Dakota State University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Economics, Nursing, and Biology. Here are some of South Dakota State University's most famous alumni:
- Theodore Schultz
- An American economist.
- Tom Daschle
- An American politician in South Dakota .
- Adam Vinatieri
- An American football player .
- Cheris Kramarae
- An American feminist scholar.
- Robert H. Burris
- An American biochemist.
- Henry A. Lardy
- A Professor of biochemistry .
- Kang-i Sun Chang
- A Chinese-born American sinologist .
- Elizabeth Cook-Lynn
- An American editor, essayist, poet, novelist, academic.
- Irwin Gunsalus
- An American biochemist.
- John Mortvedt
- An American soil scientist.
- Cynthia Larive
- An American chemist.
- Vern L. Schramm
- An American biochemist.
