South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD sdstate.edu 8,798 students

South Dakota State University's campus is located in Brookings, offering a traditional college town experience. As a land-grant university, SDSU maintains a strong focus on agriculture, engineering, nursing, and pharmacy programs alongside its liberal arts offerings. The university's research focus provides opportunities for students interested in STEM fields.

Programs

Analyzed in dataset

Earnings

$46,959

Average graduate, 1 yr after

Outlook

55/100

Avg DegreeOutlook Score

Tuition

$9,299

In-state sticker price

Out-of-state: $12,809/yr

Financial Aid

The sticker price is rarely what families actually pay. South Dakota State University's grant and scholarship aid lowers the net price for most income brackets. 16% of students receive Pell Grants; 46% take federal loans.

Net Price by Family Income

Academic Year 2025

Income Bracket	Avg Net Price	4-Year Net Cost
$0 – $30K	$12,517	$50,068
$30K – $48K	$14,297	$57,188
$48K – $75K	$17,811	$71,244
$75K – $110K	$19,424	$77,696
$110K+	$20,048	$80,192
Sticker price (no aid)	$9,299	$37,196

Net price = tuition + fees + room & board minus grants and scholarships, by reported family-income bracket. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey via College Scorecard.

Programs at South Dakota State University

35 degree programs ranked by DegreeOutlook Score. Click any program for AI scenario analysis and 10-year earnings projections.

Degree Program	DW Score	1-yr Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
Information Sciences Computer and Information Sciences, General Compare across schools →	88	$73,770/yr	Very High	26.3x
Nursing Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Compare across schools →	84	$71,758/yr	High	18.6x
Civil Engineering Compare across schools →	72	$69,129/yr	High	19.9x
Mechanical Engineering Compare across schools →	72	$67,791/yr	Very High	22.0x
Clinical Laboratory Science Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions Compare across schools →	70	$69,255/yr	Moderate	21.0x
Agricultural Business Agricultural Business and Management Compare across schools →	68	$51,222/yr	High	15.9x
Economics Compare across schools →	68	$44,663/yr	Very High	16.4x
Construction Engineering Technologies Compare across schools →	67	$77,949/yr	Very High	18.9x
Subject-Area Teaching Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas Compare across schools →	65	$45,625/yr	High	12.9x
Plant Sciences Compare across schools →	63	$58,787/yr	High	17.1x
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations Compare across schools →	61	$43,904/yr	High	13.2x
Mathematics Compare across schools →	59	$46,520/yr	Very High	14.4x
Agricultural Mechanization Compare across schools →	58	$47,492/yr	Moderate	18.2x
Teacher Education Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Compare across schools →	57	$43,530/yr	High	10.7x
Parks Parks, Recreation and Leisure Facilities Management Compare across schools →	56	$38,076/yr	Moderate	12.3x
Animal Sciences Compare across schools →	53	$44,844/yr	High	14.2x
Health & Physical Education Health and Physical Education/Fitness Compare across schools →	53	$41,019/yr	Moderate	13.4x
Public Relations & Advertising Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication Compare across schools →	52	$39,795/yr	High	12.7x
Human Development & Family Studies Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Compare across schools →	52	$37,123/yr	High	12.2x
Architecture Compare across schools →	51	$41,781/yr	High	15.4x
Hospitality Management Hospitality Administration/Management Compare across schools →	51	$32,512/yr	High	13.1x
Business Economics Business/Managerial Economics Compare across schools →	50	$45,123/yr	Very High	11.1x
Family & Consumer Economics Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies Compare across schools →	47	$44,891/yr	High	12.9x
Political Science Political Science and Government Compare across schools →	47	$34,337/yr	Very High	12.6x
History Compare across schools →	47	$33,135/yr	High	12.8x
Biology Biology, General Compare across schools →	46	$32,940/yr	High	14.7x
Sociology Compare across schools →	45	$40,236/yr	High	11.3x
Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies Compare across schools →	44	$45,770/yr	High	11.3x
Psychology Psychology, General Compare across schools →	44	$35,425/yr	High	12.0x
Agriculture Agriculture, General Compare across schools →	43	$49,781/yr	High	11.7x
Design Design and Applied Arts Compare across schools →	43	$35,944/yr	High	12.6x
Liberal Arts & Humanities Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Compare across schools →	42	$43,563/yr	Low	12.0x
Communication and Media Studies Compare across schools →	42	$39,173/yr	High	11.1x
English English Language and Literature, General Compare across schools →	40	$37,252/yr	Very High	11.4x
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management Compare across schools →	38	$39,483/yr	High	11.9x