South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota · Public · 9,198 undergraduates · sdstate.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
98%
of applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1060 to 1240
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$26,880Est.Estimate
$30,760 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at South Dakota State University
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
98% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$30,760
a year in 2027-28, from a $30,760 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1150
Send your score
About 40% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1000, and yours is above it.
Source: College Navigator (federal data on fall 2024 freshmen)
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- If your GPA is below 2.6, you must send a score.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- Reviews applications as they arrive, so applying early helps.
- Smarter Balanced Level 3+ in Math and ELA, 2.6+ HS GPA, or top 60% class rank each satisfy admission without SAT/ACT
Source: First-Time Students | South Dakota State University · Checked October 17, 2026
Who gets in
98%
of applicants are admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above.
SAT total 1060 to 1240
Reading and Writing 530 to 610
Math 530 to 630
ACT composite 19 to 25
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$26,880
a year, in state
$30,760
a year, out of state (tuition $13,940)
- Tuition (in state)$10,060
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24 (in-state students), by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$16,643
- $30,001 to $48,000$14,891
- $48,001 to $75,000$16,629
- $75,001 to $110,000$20,566
- Over $110,000$22,227
Financial aidEstimate
65%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
94%
of freshmen receive grants
$4,474
average grant to freshmen
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
South Dakota programs for residents
South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship
$1,500 to $3,000 a year
State program · In-state students
- 3.00+ GPA, 1180+ SAT or 24+ ACT, Option 1 (ACT 24 + curriculum/GPA); Advanced Honors Endorsement with 3.0 unweighted GPA, OR required HS courses (SDCL 13-55-31.1) with no final grade below C and cumulative 3.0 GPA
- 1310+ SAT or 28+ ACT, Option 2 (ACT 28, no curriculum/GPA requirement); None beyond test (no curriculum or GPA requirement per BOR)
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
39 of 39
Earn credit with a score of 3
38 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $1,010Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition for in-state students
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ART 121 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ART 123 |
| Art History | 3 | 3 | ARTH 211 |
| Biology | 3 | 4 | BIOL 151 & BIOL 151L |
| Biology | 5 | 8 | BIOL 151, BIOL 151L & BIOL 153, BIOL 153L |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 4 | MATH 123 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 8 | MATH 123 & 125 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 4 | CHEM 112 & CHEM 112L |
| Chemistry | 5 | 8 | CHEM 112/112L & CHEM 114/114L |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | CHIN 100TG |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLS 141 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 3 | CSC 155/155L USD, All others CSC/MISC 150 |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | CSC 100T |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 | ART 111 |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENGL 101 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENGL 210 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 | BIOL 100T (All), [EES 275 (SDSU Only)] |
| European History | 3 | 3 | HIST 122 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | FREN 202 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | FREN 202 & FREN 392 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | GER 202 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | GER 202 and GER 392 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GEOG 200 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | MFL 100TG |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | MFL 100TG |
| Latin | 3 | 8 | LATI 101 & 102 |
| Latin | 4 | 11 | LATI 101, 102 & 201 |
| Latin | 5 | 14 | LATI 101, 102, 201 & 202 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 202 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 201 |
| Music Theory | 5 | 4 | MUS 110/110L |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 4 | PHYS 111/111L |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 4 | PHYS 113/113L |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 4 | PHYS 209 (institutional discretion to also award PHYS 209L or PHYS 213/213L) |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 4 | PHYS 207 (institutional discretion to also award PHYS 207L or PHYS 211/211L) |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 5 | MATH 115 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSYC 101 |
| Research | 3 | 3 | IDL 100T |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 | IDL 100T |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 3 | SPAN 202 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | SPAN 202 & 392 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 3 | SPAN 202 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 6 | SPAN 202 & SPAN 335 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | STAT 281 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLS 100 |
| United States History | 3 | 3 | HIST 151 |
| United States History | 5 | 6 | HIST 151 & HIST 152 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 3 | HIST 112 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
62%
Come back for a second year
84%
Typical earnings
$58,802
a year, 10 years after starting here
- South Dakota State University$76,181
- All colleges$90,887
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 34 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with South Dakota State University. The South Dakota State University logo is a trademark of the college.