South Dakota State University: Statistics

Updated: EliteDegrees
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PositionCategory
# 792 of 14,131 In the World
# 251 of 2,597 In North America
# 223 of 2,496 In the United States
# 1 of 1 In Brookings
# 78 of 2,326 For Animal Science
Top 1-3 For 11 other topics
Subject rankings

Quick Review

Acceptance rate

98%

Enrollment

2,054

Average SAT

1,150

Average ACT

22

Aid receiving

97%

Undergraduates

10,719

Graduates

1,337

Male:Female Ratio

44:56

Type

Public
not-for-profit

Highest Degree

Doctor's degree

Acceptance rate & Admissions

South Dakota State University has an acceptance rate of 98% and is among the top 1% of the most difficult universities to gain admission to in the United States. The university reports the admission statistics without distinguishing between local and international students.

Total Men Women
Acceptance Rate 98% 98% 98%
Applicants 7,287 3,598 3,689
Admissions 7,166 3,526 3,640
Freshmen enrolled full time 2,373 1,090 1,283

Admissions requirements

College-preparatory program Required
Secondary school GPA Required
Secondary school rank Required
Secondary school record Required
TOEFL Required
Recommendations Considered but not required
SAT/ACT Considered but not required
Formal demonstration of competencies Neither required nor recommended
Other Tests Neither required nor recommended

Enrollment demographics by race or ethnicity

â–  White 82%
â–  Nonresident Alien 7%
â–  Asian 1%
â–  Hispanic 3%
â–  Black or African American 1%
â–  Two or more races 2%
â–  Unknown 3%

Tuition

Below is the standard credit pricing for the various degree levels offered at South Dakota State University.

Degree Level Cost Per Credit
Associate Degree 1,749 CR
Bachelor Program 1,950 CR
Master Program 2,149 CR
Ph.D. / Doctoral 2,850 CR
Final tuition fees may vary based on specific department requirements, residency status, and selected elective courses. Please contact the admissions office for a detailed financial breakdown.

South Dakota State University majors

South Dakota State University has granted 105 associate degrees across 5 programs, 1,925 bachelor's degrees across 78 programs, 347 master's across 43 programs, and 119 doctorate degrees across 21 programs. Below is a table with majors that lead to degrees at South Dakota State University.

Major Associate Bachelor Master Doctoral
Registered Nursing & Registered Nurse - 315 24 15
Business & Managerial Economics - 153 - -
General Studies 55 42 - -
Animal Sciences, General - 76 11 5
Mechanical Engineering - 71 10 -
Biomedical Sciences, General - 76 4 -
Psychology, General - 76 - -
Agriculture, General 34 41 - -
Civil Engineering, General - 52 13 2
Human Development and Family Studies, General 5 59 - -
Early Childhood Education and Teaching - 58 - -
Pharmacy - - - 58
Exercise Science and Kinesiology - 55 - -
Counseling Psychology - - 50 -
Biology & Biological Sciences, General - 25 19 1
Agricultural Teacher Education - 36 7 -
Data Science, General - 22 20 -
Pharmaceutics and Drug Design - 39 2 1
Agronomy and Crop Science - 17 16 6
Mathematics, General - 27 7 -
Construction Management, General - 32 - -
Engineering & Industrial Management - 17 15 -
Aeronautics & Aviation & Aerospace Science and Technology, General - 30 - -
Architectural and Building Sciences & Technology - 15 15 -
Agribusiness & Agricultural Business Operations - 28 - -
Electrical and Electronics Engineering - 18 6 4
Agricultural Mechanization, General - 27 - -
Clinical Laboratory Science & Medical Technology & Technologist - 27 - -
History, General - 26 - -
Multi- & Interdisciplinary Studies, General - 24 2 -
Agricultural Engineering - 15 2 5
Political Science and Government, General - 20 - -
Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management - 16 3 1
Chemistry, General - 3 10 6
Community Health and Preventive Medicine - 19 - -
Environmental & Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services - 19 - -
Graphic Design - 19 - -
Criminology - 18 - -
Dairy Science - 10 7 1
Geography and Environmental Studies - 8 10 -
Interior Design - 18 - -
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General - 15 3 -
Consumer Economics - 17 - -
Economics, General - 8 9 -
Human Nutrition - - 14 2
English Language and Literature, General - 12 3 -
Physical Education Teaching and Coaching - 15 - -
Sociology, General - 13 1 1
Advertising - 14 - -
Environmental Studies - 14 - -
Speech Communication and Rhetoric - 14 - -
Computer and Information Sciences, General - 11 1 -
Spanish Language and Literature - 12 - -
Natural Resources & Conservation, General - 4 5 2
Dietetics & Dietitian - 8 2 -
Electrical, Electronic, and Communications Engineering Technology & Technician - 10 - -
Microbiology, General - 7 2 1
Curriculum and Instruction - - 9 -
Respiratory Care Therapy & Therapist 7 2 - -
Athletic Training & Trainer - - 8 -
Communication and Media Studies, Other - - 8 -
Entrepreneurship & Entrepreneurial Studies - 8 - -
Family and Consumer Sciences & Home Economics Teacher Education - 5 3 -
Public Relations & Image Management - 8 - -
Engineering, General - - 7 -
Music Teacher Education - 7 - -
Biochemistry - 3 - 3
Biotechnology - 6 - -
Drama and Dramatics & Theatre Arts, General - 6 - -
Food Science - 3 1 2
Landscape Architecture - 6 - -
Agricultural Production Operations, General - 5 - -
Applied Horticulture & Horticulture Operations, General - 5 - -
Geographic Information Science and Cartography - 5 - -
International & Globalization Studies - 5 - -
Journalism - 5 - -
Non-Profit & Public & Organizational Management - 5 - -
Public Health, General - - 5 -
Construction Engineering Technology & Technician 4 - - -
Music, General - 4 - -
Statistics, General - - 4 -
Educational Leadership and Administration, General - - 3 -
Fine & Studio Arts, General - 3 - -
Hospitality Administration & Management, General - 3 - -
Mass Communication & Media Studies - - 3 -
Apparel and Textile Marketing Management - 2 - -
French Language and Literature - 2 - -
Physics, General - 2 - -
American Indian & Native American Studies - 1 - -
Chemistry Teacher Education - 1 - -
Computational Mathematics - - - 1
Consumer Services and Advocacy - - 1 -
Environmental Science - - - 1
Family and Community Services - - 1 -
Molecular Biology - - - 1
Science Technologies & Technicians, General - - 1 -
Grand Total 105 1,925 347 119

Publications & Citations

South Dakota State University has published 17,346 scientific papers with 455,376 citations received. The research profile covers a range of fields, including Biology, Environmental Science, Chemistry, Engineering, Medicine, Ecology, Physics, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, Biochemistry, and Genetics.

Publication / Citation count by topic

Biology
12,825 / 369,551
Environmental Science
10,568 / 312,565
Chemistry
9,551 / 265,087
Engineering
7,985 / 229,327
Medicine
7,688 / 200,660
Ecology
6,777 / 222,141
Physics
6,524 / 191,904
Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
6,430 / 156,148
Biochemistry
5,800 / 174,989
Genetics
5,564 / 158,960
Geology
5,421 / 200,279
Geography and Cartography
5,354 / 177,207
Organic chemistry
4,902 / 136,403
Computer Science
4,410 / 106,712
Agricultural Science
4,111 / 110,673
Botany
4,011 / 128,217
Materials Science
3,644 / 94,769
Quantum and Particle physics
3,545 / 103,656
Pathology
3,085 / 95,589
Paleontology
2,890 / 89,539
Sociology
2,711 / 56,710
Mathematics
2,654 / 63,057
History
2,543 / 78,778
Psychology
2,510 / 49,143
Political Science
2,463 / 44,227
Animal Science
2,415 / 42,743
Nutrition and Food Science
2,363 / 58,281
Law
2,333 / 42,024
Archaeology
2,309 / 73,680
Statistics
2,151 / 54,735
Business
1,951 / 39,887
Philosophy
1,942 / 37,182
Horticulture
1,828 / 43,304
Metallurgy
1,745 / 49,420
Economics
1,727 / 32,939
Forestry
1,713 / 54,295
Public Health
1,570 / 39,422
Optics
1,525 / 52,160
Oceanography
1,505 / 85,248
Immunology
1,453 / 47,828

Annual publication & citation counts

Academic rankings

48 Notable alumni

Larry E. Rolufs

1. Larry E. Rolufs

1940-. (aged 86)
civil servant
Larry E. Rolufs was an official in the United States Department of the Treasury who was Director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing from 1995 to 1997.
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Larry Long

2. Larry Long

1947-. (aged 79)
lawyer judge politician
Larry Long is an American judge and the former 29th Attorney General of the state of South Dakota, United States. A Republican, he was first elected Attorney General in 2002 and left office in 2009 to accept an appointment by Gov. Mike Rounds to a judgeship in the state's Second Judicial District.
+ show more
Gary Boner

3. Gary Boner

1940-2005 (aged 65)
basketball coach
Gary L. Boner was an American football player and coach. He was the longest-tenured head football coach for South Dakota School of Mines & Technology (SDSM&T) in Rapid City, South Dakota, serving from 1971 to 1989. With a record of 92–73–7, he won more games than any football coach in SDSM&T history.
+ show more
Clarence Hoffman

4. Clarence Hoffman

1933-2025 (aged 92)
politician
Clarence Clifford Hoffman was an American politician who served as a Republican member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009.
All 48 notable alumni
AlumnusAlumnusAlumnusAlumnus

General Info & Contacts

Alternative names SDSU
Founded 1881
Motto You can go anywhere from here
Colors yellow, blue
Academic calendar September to May (September - December; January-May). Also Summer Session (May-August)
Total staff 1,822
Classification Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity
Address 1004 Campanile Ave Brookings, South Dakota, 57007-1898 United States
City Population 23,000
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