University of South Dakota (USD)
Public four-year university in Vermillion, SD that costs an average of $20,028 a year after financial aid, admits 99% of applicants and graduates 60% of full-time students.
Net price / year
$20,028
Acceptance rate
99%
Graduation rate
60%
Earnings after 10 yrs
$58,316
PublicTown (distant)5,439 undergraduates
Cost of USD
| Total cost of attendance (per year) | $25,752 |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees, in-state | $9,687 |
| Tuition and fees, out-of-state | $13,299 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $10,590 |
| Books and supplies | $800 |
| Average net price after aid | $20,028 |
Net price by family income
| Family income | Average net price / year |
|---|---|
| $0–30,000 | $16,823 |
| $30,001–48,000 | $15,550 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $17,356 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $20,898 |
| $110,001+ | $23,148 |
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships (in-state students). Get your own estimate with USD's net price calculator ↗.
Admissions
| Acceptance rate | 99% |
|---|---|
| Average SAT | 1,125 |
| SAT reading (25th–75th percentile) | 530–620 |
| SAT math (25th–75th percentile) | 595–695 |
| ACT composite (25th–75th percentile) | 19–25 |
| Test scores | Considered but not required |
Graduation, earnings and debt
| Graduation rate | 60% |
|---|---|
| First-year retention | 79% |
| Median earnings 6 years after enrolling | $50,172 |
| Median earnings 10 years after enrolling | $58,316 |
| Rank in South Dakota (earnings) | 5th of 11 similar colleges |
| Median debt of graduates | $22,000 |
| Typical monthly loan payment | $250 (10-year plan) |
| Students with Pell grants | 20% |
| Students with federal loans | 37% |
Majors and programs at USD
Earnings one year after graduation and median debt, by program. Click a program for details and comparisons.
Bachelor's degree programs (46)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 288 | $74,978 | $25,500 |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | 63 | $69,364 | $20,000 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 115 | $54,403 | $19,096 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 25 | $53,797 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 173 | $50,062 | $21,625 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 105 | $49,843 | $19,500 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences | 151 | $48,416 | $20,470 |
| Special Education and Teaching | 19 | $47,912 | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 109 | $47,711 | $25,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 131 | $47,492 | $22,500 |
| Marketing | 61 | $45,791 | $22,852 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 83 | $45,483 | $23,442 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 22 | $44,768 | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 96 | $43,698 | $20,750 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 108 | $42,919 | $22,250 |
| Political Science and Government | 57 | $42,892 | $20,500 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 128 | $39,359 | $20,546 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 36 | $38,949 | $24,750 |
| English Language and Literature | 28 | $37,856 | — |
| Psychology | 157 | $37,633 | $22,400 |
| Biology | 129 | $31,576 | $25,000 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 16 | $28,760 | — |
| Anthropology | 18 | — | — |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 2 | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 11 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 10 | — | — |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | 9 | — | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 56 | — | $19,500 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 23 | — | — |
| Economics | 31 | — | $25,000 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 9 | — | — |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | 3 | — | — |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | — | — |
| History | 22 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 9 | — | — |
| International/Globalization Studies | 7 | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 25 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 11 | — | — |
| Music | 11 | — | — |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 13 | — | — |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | 4 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 4 | — | — |
| Physics | 6 | — | — |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 11 | — | — |
| Sociology | 27 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 16 | — | — |
Certificate programs (19)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropology | 4 | — | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 14 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 1 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 1 | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | 7 | — | — |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 2 | — | — |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 1 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 1 | — | — |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences | 21 | — | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services | 1 | — | — |
| Marketing | 5 | — | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 5 | — | — |
| Music | 1 | — | — |
| Philosophy | 2 | — | — |
| Physical Science Technologies/Technicians | 1 | — | — |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | 1 | — | — |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 1 | — | — |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | 2 | — | — |
Associate's degree programs (4)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 7 | — | — |
| Design and Applied Arts | 3 | — | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 40 | — | $12,000 |
| Physical Science Technologies/Technicians | — | — | — |
Master's degree programs (34)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 49 | $113,496 | $108,184 |
| Public Administration | 30 | $86,995 | — |
| Human Services | 23 | $80,825 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 183 | $78,406 | $26,927 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 53 | $63,562 | $41,000 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 85 | $63,551 | $20,118 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 51 | $62,288 | $15,019 |
| Public Health | 32 | $62,165 | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 161 | $55,466 | $27,000 |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 39 | $50,492 | $41,000 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 50 | $48,210 | $14,376 |
| Biology | 32 | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 10 | — | — |
| Chemistry | 10 | — | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 7 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 173 | — | — |
| Data Analytics | 11 | — | — |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 3 | — | — |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design | 4 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 16 | — | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 3 | — | — |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences | 1 | — | — |
| History | 6 | — | — |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 8 | — | — |
| Mathematics | 8 | — | — |
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies | 13 | — | — |
| Music | 25 | — | — |
| Physics | 7 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 1 | — | — |
| Psychology | 16 | — | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 4 | — | — |
| Special Education and Teaching | 15 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 5 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 29 | — | — |
Doctoral degree programs (17)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Educational Administration and Supervision | 34 | $84,972 | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | — | $71,043 | $105,198 |
| Medicine | — | $63,143 | $142,217 |
| Biology | 15 | — | — |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 7 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 9 | — | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | — | — | — |
| Curriculum and Instruction | 6 | — | — |
| English Language and Literature | 7 | — | — |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences | 8 | — | — |
| Law | — | — | $87,591 |
| Materials Sciences | 11 | — | — |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | 5 | — | — |
| Physics | 7 | — | — |
| Political Science and Government | 8 | — | — |
| Psychology | 13 | — | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | — | — | — |
Professional degree programs (6)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | 133 | $66,227 | — |
| Medicine | 121 | $62,709 | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 12 | — | — |
| Medical Clinical Sciences/Graduate Medical Studies | 5 | — | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 3 | — | — |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | 119 | — | — |
Graduate certificate programs (13)
| Program | Graduates (2 yrs) | Earnings after 1 yr | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 16 | — | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology | 7 | — | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 1 | — | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 1 | — | — |
| Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities | 14 | — | — |
| Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies | 4 | — | — |
| Marketing | 3 | — | — |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | 18 | — | — |
| Museology/Museum Studies | 4 | — | — |
| Psychology | 2 | — | — |
| Public Administration | 36 | — | — |
| Sustainability Studies | 2 | — | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 19 | — | — |
Similar colleges in South Dakota
| College | City | Net price / yr | Acceptance | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota State University | Brookings | $19,362 | 98% | $58,802 |
| Dakota State University | Madison | $20,554 | 88% | $53,378 |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Rapid City | $20,827 | 80% | $78,487 |
| Augustana University | Sioux Falls | $23,283 | 68% | $61,271 |
| Black Hills State University | Spearfish | $19,252 | 96% | $49,283 |
| Northern State University | Aberdeen | $15,279 | 93% | $51,006 |
| University of Sioux Falls | Sioux Falls | $21,417 | 83% | $59,404 |
| National American University-Rapid City | Rapid City | $31,654 | — | $38,663 |
About USD
| Type | Public four-year university |
|---|---|
| Location | Vermillion, SD |
| Setting | Town (distant) |
| Undergraduates | 5,439 |
| Student-to-faculty ratio | 16 to 1 |
| Accreditor | Higher Learning Commission |
| Website | usd.edu ↗ |
Frequently asked questions
What is USD's acceptance rate?
University of South Dakota admits 99% of applicants. Admitted students average 1,125 on the SAT.
How much does USD cost per year?
The full cost of attendance is $25,752 a year (tuition and fees: $9,687 in-state, $13,299 out-of-state). After grants and scholarships the average student pays $20,028 a year, and students from families earning under $30,000 pay about $16,823.
How much do USD graduates earn?
Former students earn a median of $58,316 a year, 10 years after first enrolling — 5th of 11 similar colleges in South Dakota. The best-paid bachelor's program is registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing ($74,978 a year after graduation).
What is USD's graduation rate?
60% of full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% of first-year students return for a second year.