2026 Cheapest South Dakota College Costs Rankings
Among South Dakota colleges, Northern State University has the cheapest tuition & fees ($11,947) and Black Hills State University has the second lowest tuition & fees ($12,018) based on academic year 2024-2025 college costs data.
Below table ranks and compares the Cheapest South Dakota College Costs having lowest tuition & fees (based on undergraduate rate). For the ranking, we only include 4-year colleges that more than 1,500 students have enrolled in.
Cheapest South Dakota College Costs
| Rank | College Name | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees | Graduate Tuition & Fees | SAT Score | Acceptance Rate | Population | Graduation Rate | Student to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern State University Aberdeen, SD | $11,947 | $11,936 | 1,060 | 93.0% | 3,708 | 49% | 19 to 1 |
| 2 | Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD | $12,018 | $15,849 | 1,060 | 96.3% | 3,346 | 43% | 17 to 1 |
| 3 | Dakota State University Madison, SD | $12,756 | $11,931 | 1,320 | 88.1% | 3,774 | 51% | 18 to 1 |
| 4 | South Dakota State University Brookings, SD | $12,809 | $16,917 | 1,130 | 98.3% | 12,056 | 62% | 17 to 1 |
| 5 | University of South Dakota Vermillion, SD | $12,942 | $12,768 | 1,205 | 98.8% | 10,619 | 60% | 16 to 1 |
| 6 | South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, SD | $14,900 | $14,600 | 1,230 | 79.9% | 2,576 | 53% | 12 to 1 |
| 7 | Augustana University Sioux Falls, SD | $40,160 | $40,830 | 1,255 | 67.8% | 2,390 | 73% | 12 to 1 |
Qualified South Dakota Colleges in Core Admission Stats
