Cost comparison
Affordable colleges in South Dakota
CampusPin lists 20 colleges in South Dakota. The 20 below are ordered by lowest published in-state tuition, with a median of $9,177 and a median average net price of $18,568 among those reporting it. Tuition, total cost, and net price are three different numbers — the table keeps them separate.
South Dakota college costs by the numbers
- Lowest published in-state tuition
- Oglala Lakota College ($2,684)
- Median in-state tuition (20 reporting)
- $9,177
- Median net price after aid (18 reporting)
- $18,568
- Highest graduation rate
- Mitchell Technical College (76%)
- Most selective
- Mount Marty University (43% acceptance)
- Largest by enrollment
- South Dakota State University (10,119 students)
South Dakota colleges by published in-state tuition
Lowest published in-state tuition first. Every figure is as reported by the institution to federal data collections; blank cells are unreported values, not zeros.
| College | In-state tuition | Out-of-state tuition | Avg. net price | Graduation rate | Acceptance rate | Public/private | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oglala Lakota College | $2,684 | $2,684 | $1,895 | 9% | 100% | Public | Kyle, SD |
| Sisseton Wahpeton College | $4,330 | $4,330 | $2,977 | 21% | 100% | Public | Sisseton, SD |
| Sinte Gleska University | $4,714 | $4,714 | $7,075 | 15% | 100% | Public | Mission, SD |
| Lake Area Technical College | $6,718 | $6,718 | $15,979 | 73% | 100% | Public | Watertown, SD |
| Mitchell Technical College | $7,524 | $7,524 | $13,460 | 76% | 100% | Public | Mitchell, SD |
| Southeast Technical College | $7,650 | $7,650 | $17,400 | 59% | 100% | Public | Sioux Falls, SD |
| Western Dakota Technical College | $8,294 | $8,294 | $12,670 | 54% | 100% | Public | Rapid City, SD |
| Black Hills State University | $8,764 | $11,866 | $15,911 | 43% | 96% | Public | Spearfish, SD |
| Northern State University | $8,845 | $11,947 | $15,812 | 49% | 93% | Public | Aberdeen, SD |
| California Intercontinental University | $9,054 | $9,054 | Not reported | 10% | 100% | Private | Sioux Falls, SD |
| South Dakota State University | $9,299 | $12,809 | $19,841 | 62% | 98% | Public | Brookings, SD |
| University of South Dakota | $9,432 | $12,942 | $19,858 | 60% | 99% | Public | Vermillion, SD |
| Dakota State University | $9,654 | $12,756 | $21,057 | 51% | 88% | Public | Madison, SD |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | $10,500 | $14,900 | $20,183 | 53% | 80% | Public | Rapid City, SD |
| Kairos University | $13,120 | $13,120 | Not reported | Not reported | 85% | Private | Sioux Falls, SD |
| National American University-Rapid City | $16,065 | $16,065 | $22,086 | 60% | 100% | Private | Rapid City, SD |
| University of Sioux Falls | $21,750 | $21,750 | $21,383 | 63% | 83% | Private | Sioux Falls, SD |
| Dakota Wesleyan University | $33,790 | $33,790 | $19,735 | 48% | 73% | Private | Mitchell, SD |
| Mount Marty University | $34,600 | $34,600 | $22,227 | 52% | 43% | Private | Yankton, SD |
| Augustana University | $40,160 | $40,160 | $23,894 | 73% | 68% | Private | Sioux Falls, SD |
What the South Dakota cost data shows
- Oglala Lakota College has the lowest published in-state tuition on this page at $2,684 per year. Published tuition is the sticker price and excludes housing, food, books, and fees.
- Median published in-state tuition is $8,294 across the public colleges here and $21,750 across the private ones — a $13,456 difference at sticker price. Private colleges often discount heavily, so compare net price before ruling one out.
- Median average net price is $18,568 across the 18 colleges here that report it. Net price includes housing and other costs, so it can exceed tuition alone.
- 18 of the 20 colleges listed report an average net price, and 19 report a graduation rate. Blank cells mean the institution has not reported that figure to the federal collections — not that the value is zero.
How this list was built
This page lists colleges CampusPin holds for South Dakota, sorted by published in-state tuition, lowest first. That sort is the only ranking applied — there is no CampusPin score, no editorial ordering, and no “#1 cheapest” claim.
Published tuition is the sticker price for instruction. Total cost of attendance adds housing, food, books, and fees. Average net price is what students actually paid on average after grant and scholarship aid, reported to federal collections for a prior entering class. Net price is an average across a whole cohort and varies substantially by family income, so treat it as a comparison tool between colleges rather than a prediction of your own bill.
Figures come from the institution’s federal reporting (20 of 20 South Dakota institutions report in-state tuition). Always confirm current costs with the college’s financial aid office before making a decision.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the cheapest college in South Dakota?
- Of the 20 South Dakota colleges on this page, Oglala Lakota College in Kyle reports the lowest published in-state tuition at $2,684 per year. That is the sticker price before aid and before housing and food; the college's net price after grants may rank differently.
- Is tuition the same as the total cost of college?
- No. Published tuition covers instruction only. Total cost of attendance adds housing, food, books, transportation, and fees. Net price is what students actually paid on average after grant and scholarship aid was applied, and across the 18 South Dakota colleges reporting it here the median is $18,568. Compare all three before deciding a college is or isn't affordable.
- Are public colleges cheaper than private colleges in South Dakota?
- At sticker price, yes on this page: median published in-state tuition is $8,294 at the public colleges listed and $21,750 at the private ones. Private colleges typically discount more heavily through institutional grants, so the gap in net price is usually much smaller than the gap in tuition.
- Will I personally pay these amounts at a South Dakota college?
- Almost certainly not exactly. Net price varies widely by family income, and the figures here are averages across a previous entering class reported to federal collections. Use them to compare colleges against each other, then run the numbers for your own situation with the net price estimator and confirm with each financial aid office.
More Midwest states
Explore South Dakota
Keep going on CampusPin
Narrow this list with the full filter set, or put any two colleges side by side.
Costs change every academic year. Report a data issue.
Data sources & methodology
Cost, aid, and outcome figures for South Dakota colleges are compiled from federal datasets and each institution's own reporting.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. Affordable Colleges in South Dakota. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/affordable-colleges/south-dakota