- AcademicsB-
- ValueA-
- DiversityB
- CampusB+
- AthleticsA-
- Party SceneA-
- ProfessorsB-
- LocationA-
- DormsB
- Campus FoodB-
- Student LifeB+
- SafetyB+
South Dakota State University is ...
Public
Athletic Division
NCAA Division I-AA
Athletic Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
Address
Administration Lane
Brookings, SD 57007
Website
South Dakota State University Rankings
Niche rankings are based on rigorous analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education and millions of reviews.
Admissions
Acceptance Rate
92%
SAT Range
890-1170
ACT Range
20-26
Application Fee
$20
SAT/ACT
Required
High School GPA
Required
Application Website
Will You Get In?
Test Scores and GPA for South Dakota State University
Cost
Net Price
$15,380/ year
National
$15,431Average cost after financial aid for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, as reported by the college.
Academics
Professors
B-
Based on faculty accomplishments, salary, student reviews, and additional factors.
Student Faculty Ratio
17:1
Evening Degree Programs
No
- 68%
- of students agree that professors put a lot of effort into teaching their classes.74 responses
- 70%
- of students agree that it is easy to get the classes they want.73 responses
- 47%
- of students agree that the workload is easy to manage.72 responses
Majors
Most Popular Majors
Nursing
332 GraduatesBiology
91 GraduatesAnimal Sciences and Husbandry
84 GraduatesEconomics
75 GraduatesPharmacy Studies
69 GraduatesAgronomy, Range, and Crop Science
66 GraduatesEarly Childhood Education
60 GraduatesMechanical Engineering
59 GraduatesWildlife and Fisheries Management
59 GraduatesPsychology
57 Graduates
Students
Full-Time Enrollment
8,620Undergrads
Undergrads Over 25
5%
Pell Grant
27%
Varsity Athletes
6%
Campus Life
Freshmen Live On-Campus
—
Poll
- 55%
- of students say that Greek life is average, and no one will treat you differently if you don't join.92 responses
Poll
- 77%
- of students say varsity sports are a big part of campus life.106 responses
After South Dakota State University
Median Earnings 6 Years After Graduation
$40,600/ year
National
$33,028Graduation Rate
57%
National
47%Employed 2 Years After Graduation
96%
National
83%- 89%
- of students feel confident they will find a job in their field after graduation.57 responses
South Dakota State University Reviews
1,138 reviews
All Categories
I like that there are a lot of opportunities here. You can find everything from agriculture to theater to nursing to anything science. There are so many wonderful teachers and students to help you along, encourage you, and have fun with you. The nursing program is incredible at SDSU. We have dozens of knowledgeable nurses ready to take care of the world. Our agriculture department is on top of everything. We even have a dairy plant. I study to be an English teacher and I can guarantee I am getting exactly the education needed for me to succeed! Besides education, we have a fully stocked wellness center that is available most times throughout each week. SDSU is also home to Chick fil A, Panda Express, and several other food places that do not disappoint! The campus is clean and beautiful -- especially during the fall season!
I myself am not involved in college sports but I am involved with intramural sports and it is so much fun! Its a great way to be involved in a friendly competition sport and get to know people. I am involved in the intramural volleyball and its just really fun to put together your own team and play against new teams. Also, the school spirit here is amazing. We were given our own cowbells to ring and the energy at footballs games is amazing! There is nothing like going to your first college football game. You really feel like you're part of something big! We also have a fantastic wellness center here at South Dakota State University. There is equipment for all types of work outs and they also provide classes you can take like yoga, kickboxing, and so much more.
My freshman year housing was not as great as it could have been. I lived in Binnewies, which turned out to be more of the party dorm, an activity I did not participate in. Since everyone there was so interested in partying, I only found a few people on my floor who were friendly to non-party goers like myself. I know that my friend lived in Young and made great friends on her floor! A lot of it depends on the CA's as well, my CA's did no group activities, other than our mandatory meetings, while my friends CA's did activities all the time, making it easier to meet friends and have something fun to do together. I did choose one of the cheaper dorms, and got what I paid for, the ceilings are low, so if you loft your bed all the way, you will hit your head when you sit up. In the newer dorms, you will receive carpeting, in most, and the ceilings are much higher. The new dorms also have convenient kitchen areas while the one in Binnewies was in the basement and you had to obtain a key to even use anything. If you can afford the newer dorms, I recommend them. The common area is much more homey and welcoming to students. I had some problems with my requested roommate and I being paired together, but there was a lot of mess ups in the housing department, all of which were taken care of, they just took some time. When applying for my sophomore housing, the housing department was VERY helpful, I was able to get a single room next to my friend and the process was very easy!