10-yr median earnings
$51,926
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Vermillion, South Dakota
University of South Dakota
University of South Dakota is a public institution in Vermillion, South Dakota. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $19,858
- Avg net price / yr
- $51,926
- 10-yr median earnings
- 60.6%
- 150%-time completion
- 98.8%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
University of South Dakota pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 26%
- former-student earnings, US
- 98.8%
- acceptance rate
- 60.6%
- 150%-time completion
- +12%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Distant
Carnegie: R2
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this University of South Dakota profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C
College Value Score
56/100
University of South Dakota
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings B
$51,926
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$19,858
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate C
60.6%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$23,592
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A
82.2%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention C
79.3%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$19,858
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
60.6%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 60.6%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - University of South Dakota vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How University of South Dakota ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
University of South Dakota: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$51,926 Top 26% higher than 74% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | University of South Dakota | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $51,926 | #1325 of 5103 | 74th |
| Average net price | $19,858 | #3060 of 5020 | 39th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 60.6% | #2161 of 4858 | 56th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,439 | #690 of 5462 | 87th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
5,439
Undergraduate enrollment
98.8%
Acceptance rate
1,125
SAT average
60.6%
150%-time completion
$51,926
10-yr median earnings
79.3%
First-year retention
How University of South Dakota ranks in South Dakota
State rank among 21 reporting South Dakota colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | University of South Dakota | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $51,926 | #6 of 21 | 71st |
| Average net price | $19,858 | #15 of 21 | 29th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 60.6% | #9 of 21 | 57th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 5,439 | #2 of 24 | 92nd |
Highest former-student earnings in South Dakota
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | $72,257 | $20,183 |
| 2 | Augustana University | $59,217 | $23,894 |
| 3 | South Dakota State University | $55,070 | $19,841 |
| 4 | University of Sioux Falls | $54,521 | $21,383 |
| 5 | Dakota Wesleyan University | $53,728 | $19,735 |
| 6 | University of South DakotaThis school | $51,926 | $19,858 |
| 7 | Dakota State University | $50,970 | $21,057 |
| 8 | Mitchell Technical College | $50,743 | $13,460 |
| 9 | Mount Marty University | $48,179 | $22,227 |
| 10 | Northern State University | $47,618 | $15,812 |
| 11 | Southeast Technical College | $46,709 | $17,400 |
| 12 | Black Hills State University | $46,674 | $15,911 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 98.8% |
| SAT Average | 1,125 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 595 – 695 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 530 – 620 |
| ACT Average | 22 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 19 – 25 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at University of South Dakota
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$14,921 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$15,942 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$18,540 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$22,193 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at University of South Dakota - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $9,432 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $12,942 |
| Average Net Price | $19,858 |
18.7%
Pell Grant Rate
40.4%
Federal Loan Rate
$23,592
Median Debt
$250/mo
Monthly Payment
2013–2023: what University of South Dakota costs has stayed close to flat
Average net price moved +24.0% over 10 years, from $15,442 to $19,155 in nominal dollars. The median college measured over the same span moved +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $15,4422023 · $19,155
Over the same years, enrollment went -18.8% (6,449 → 5,239 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
63.4%
Female
24.3%
First Generation
Outcomes
79.3%
Retention Rate
$46,290
Median Earnings (6yr)
70.7%
Earning Over $25K
82.2%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 60.6% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 79.3% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $46,290 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $51,926 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 70.7% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 82.2% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $23,592 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $250/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 29 | 1,148 | $57,667 | $74,816 | $23,567 |
| Master's | 16 | 393 | $76,359 | $123,612 | $40,525 |
| First Professional | 3 | 207 | $94,211 | $126,911 | - |
| Doctoral | 2 | 13 | $87,979 | $105,958 | $115,835 |
| Associate's | 1 | 0 | $63,700 | $63,700 | $14,947 |
Top programs at University of South Dakota by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Medicine
Medicine
$126,911 median earnings
- Allied Health Diagnostic, …
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions
$123,612 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$109,366 median earnings
- Educational Administration…
Educational Administration and Supervision
$105,958 median earnings
- Public Administration
Public Administration
$87,275 median earnings
- Human Services, General
Human Services, General
$86,703 median earnings
- Accounting and Related Ser…
Accounting and Related Services
$85,964 median earnings
- Law
Law
$83,195 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Southern University and A & M College
Baton Rouge, LA
5,519 students · 80 apart
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, MO
5,521 students · 82 apart
Augusta University
Augusta, GA
5,613 students · 174 apart
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth
North Dartmouth, MA
5,221 students · 218 apart
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
$19,857 net price · $1 apart
Riverside County Office of Education-School of Career Education
Riverside, CA
$19,842 net price · $16 apart
South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD
$19,841 net price · $17 apart
Grambling State University
Grambling, LA
$19,809 net price · $49 apart
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at University of South Dakota? ▼
University of South Dakota is a public institution in Vermillion, South Dakota. The acceptance rate is 98.8%. The average SAT score is 1,125. Undergraduate enrollment is 5,439 students.
How much do University of South Dakota former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at University of South Dakota who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $51,926 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $46,290.
How much does University of South Dakota cost? ▼
The average net price at University of South Dakota is $19,858. In-state tuition is $9,432 and out-of-state tuition is $12,942. Median student debt at graduation is $23,592.
What is the graduation rate at University of South Dakota? ▼
University of South Dakota has a 60.6% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 79.3%.
Is University of South Dakota worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at University of South Dakota is $23,592, while former students earn a median of $51,926 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 45% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 82.2% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $250.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from University of South Dakota
- Compare University of South Dakota against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in South Dakota side by side.Browse South Dakota
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.