Cost advantage
Affordable public option
In-state tuition in the lower range for public universities.
This school$9.7k
Public 4-yr avg$11k
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024
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UniversitypublicVerified data
Dakota State University
Madison, SD
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$9,654
Out-of-State Tuition
$12,756
Avg On-Campus Living
$9,742
Avg Off-Campus Living
$10,599
Financial Aid & Outcomes
CollegeScorecard · 2024
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price$19,396
Net price (after aid)$21,057
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k$17,317
$30k – $48k$18,792
$48k – $75k$19,165
$75k – $110k$22,601
$110k+$23,269
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr)$50,970
Median debt at graduation$23,500
Est. monthly loan payment$249
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Moderate · 2.2×Graduates earn about 2.2× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants17%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans34%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
51%
Freshman Retention
75%
Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Out-of-state value
$12.8k below avg
Scholarships available
Aid signal
Open-access admissions
Most qualified applicants are admitted.
Affordability snapshot
In-state tuition
$9.7k
below avg
Out-of-state
$12.8k
below avg
Net price
$21.1k
Pell
17%
Median debt
$23.5k
Earnings (10y)
$51k
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
88%
SAT range
1020 - 1340
ACT range
20 - 26
Actions
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Location
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UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
Madison, SD 57042
Academics
Studying online: most students study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 2,019 of Dakota State University's 3,508 students (58%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 680 (19%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
Dakota State University reported conferring credentials in 24 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Similar schools
Frequently asked questions
About Dakota State University
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is Dakota State University located?
- Dakota State University is located in Madison, SD, in the United States.
- What type of institution is Dakota State University?
- Dakota State University is a public university based in SD. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at Dakota State University?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at Dakota State University is approximately 88%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at Dakota State University?
- Dakota State University's published in-state tuition is approximately $9,654 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend Dakota State University?
- Dakota State University reports total enrollment of approximately 2,527 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does Dakota State University actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at Dakota State University is approximately $21,057 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $17,317 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $23,269. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at Dakota State University?
- Dakota State University reports a graduation rate of approximately 51%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of Dakota State University have?
- Students who borrowed at Dakota State University left with a median of approximately $23,500 in federal loans, and about 34% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of Dakota State University earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $50,970 for students who received federal financial aid at Dakota State University. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about Dakota State University?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with Dakota State University.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 24 fields Dakota State University reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management | 208 | Graduate48 graduate · 117 bachelor's · 17 associate · 26 certificate |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 136 | Graduate57 graduate · 67 bachelor's · 12 certificate |
| Information Science/Studies | 100 | Graduate64 graduate · 15 bachelor's · 8 associate · 13 certificate |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | 39 | Bachelor's34 bachelor's · 2 associate · 3 certificate |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 36 | Bachelor's |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 28 | Bachelor's18 bachelor's · 10 associate |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 27 | Graduate4 graduate · 14 bachelor's · 9 associate |
| Mathematics | 14 | Bachelor's11 bachelor's · 3 certificate |
| Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications | 12 | Certificate |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 12 | Bachelor's5 bachelor's · 2 associate · 5 certificate |
| Special Education and Teaching | 12 | Bachelor's |
| Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations | 11 | Bachelor's |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 10 | Bachelor's |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 10 | Bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by sideAll colleges in South DakotaSouth Dakota college costs by family incomeStudent debt at South Dakota collegesComputer science major guideBusiness major guideNursing major guidePsychology major guideEngineering major guide
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with Dakota State University before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026
Facts on this profile of Dakota State University are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
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.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
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. (2024). Dakota State University, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/dakota-state-university
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
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