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Cost & financial aid brief

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# South Dakota State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/south-dakota-state-university/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/south-dakota-state-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/south-dakota-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/south-dakota-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/south-dakota-state-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does South Dakota State University cost after financial aid?

Grants and scholarships reduce the published cost of attendance by $4,795 for the average aid recipient at South Dakota State University, yielding an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $19,841. Aid covers about 19% of the sticker price for that recipient.

The published total of $24,636 includes $9,299 in tuition and fees for state residents and $10,176 for room and board. Out-of-state tuition and fees run $12,809.

That average net price sits $5,773 above the $14,068 median at comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth ranks the university #625 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. That places the affordability pillar in the 56th percentile.

The published cost of attendance is $24,636, though aid recipients pay less. Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $19,841, which sits $5,773 above the median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the affordability pillar in the 56th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. By income band, the lowest group averages $14,266 and the highest averages $21,886.

Borrowers who finish hold a median of $23,250 in federal loans, $2,021 above the peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)s, what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, are lowest for families with the least income and increase across the bands. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $14,266; for $30,001–$48,000 it is $15,248; for $48,001–$75,000 it is $18,073; for $75,001–$110,000 it is $20,706; and for families earning over $110,000 it is $21,886.

Pell Grant recipients make up 16.8% of undergraduates, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,620, a difference of averages that shows aid is concentrated on families with lower incomes.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$14,266

**$30–48K**
$15,248

**$48–75K**
$18,073

**$75–110K**
$20,706

**$110K+**
$21,886

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$19,841**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

Aid covers about 19% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, for an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) 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](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/)—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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) 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 the model 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](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $18,000. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $264.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$18,000

**Estimated parent payment**
$229/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| 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](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=south-dakota-state-university#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## 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

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  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.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

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.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=south-dakota-state-university#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), 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](/about/).

**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](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

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.