Cost & financial aid brief
South Dakota State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does South Dakota State University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 19% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, for an average net price of $19,841 and an aid offset of $4,795 against the sticker total. This average net price sits above the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,773.
Across income bands, the average net price starts at $14,266 for families earning under $30,000 and reaches $21,886 for families earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,620, a pattern that coincides with the largest discounts flowing to the lowest-income families.
The lowest-band average sits well below the overall average, reflecting a pricing structure where aid is targeted toward families with the greatest financial need. This structure means the net price a family pays is closely tied to its income level.
South Dakota State University publishes a cost of attendance of $24,636, with in-state tuition and fees at $9,299 and room and board at $10,176. The average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $14,266 for families earning under $30,000, $18,073 for the $48,001–$75,000 band, and $21,886 for families earning over $110,000.
The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,620. Azimuth ranks the university #625 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Aid covers about 19% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, a savings of $4,795 off the sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $19,841, which sits above the peer median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $5,773.
Out-of-state students face a higher tuition of $12,809, though the net-price figures here are on an in-state basis. Graduates who borrow federal loans leave with a median federal student debt of $23,250, and 95.2% of federal aid recipients take federal loans.
That debt is above the peer median of $21,229 by $2,021, and corresponds to an estimated payment of $264 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who take out Parent PLUS loans borrow a median of $18,000.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Among borrowers who complete a degree at South Dakota State University, median federal student loan debt is $23,250. That median runs $2,021 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
If repaid over ten years, the debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $264 a month. Federal borrowing is common here, with 95.2% of federal aid recipients taking federal loans.
Parents who borrow through the separate Parent PLUS program hold a median of $18,000.
Graduates of South Dakota State University earn a median of $63,042 four years after completion, placing the university at the 60th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure is $5,741 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
Graduates earn about $3,249 more than expects for similar students, an outcome at the 66th percentile. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, stretch from $48,287 in a downside case to $88,574 in an upside case, with the typical scenario at $63,042.
On the borrowing side, the median federal student debt at completion is $23,250, $2,021 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions. That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $264 a month if repaid over ten years.
Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $18,000. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $264.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $18,000
- Estimated parent payment
- $229/mo
| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
|---|---|---|
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 13.5% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 6.1% | Caution |
| $150,000 | 2.9% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.9% | Safe |
The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. Open the parent tool for your own numbers. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $23,250
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $18,000
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $264/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $229/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $493/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $63,042, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:
8.1% of income above the allowance · Good
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
- Concerning 12–20%
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.