
Source: National Center for Educational Statistics. This is the most recent data available as of January 2023
Questions & Answers
What do all these numbers mean?
All costs shown here are the average net cost paid by families in each income bracket for one year at the college in question. Net cost is the total cost of attendance for one year, minus government grants and institutional scholarships. Figures are based on data from the 2020-21 school year, which is the latest available as of January 2023.
What is “Total Cost” on the chart?
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for one year at that particular college. It includes:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
There are detailed chart below for each school that shows these expenses. Click here to go to the individual cost breakdown for schools.
How can I use this information?
This information is useful for building a realistic college budget. It's a good place to start until you better understand your specific circumstances. For example, let's say your income is $100,000 per year. This chart shows that the average state school would run $20,007 and the average private school would be $24,851. You can also get information on specific South Dakota schools in the chart above or the tables below.
Will my family pay the amount on this chart?
Probably not. The numbers are averages. You may be below average or above average. However, there are two key points we can learn from this data:
- Families with higher incomes ($75,000-$110,000 and $110,000+) will most likely pay close to full price at the public schools.
- Private colleges have a higher list price but offer more discounts. This brings their net price much closer to the cost of state-funded schools.
Where did this information come from?
As part of federal financial aid, colleges are required to provide detailed cost information to the U.S. government. This data is made available to the public through the National Center for Education Statistics. For more details, click here.
What about athletes, merit aid or minority students?
Athletes, high achieving students, and those with minority status are averaged in with everyone else. Within each income bracket, there are families that pay more than average and families that pay less than average.
The costs on this chart seem large. How can families afford to pay it?
For many families paying for college is not easy, but in the end they figure out. Most families will pay their net cost of college with some combination of:
- College savings and investments
- Payments from current income
- Loans
- Outside scholarships (check out the Scholarship Guide For Busy Parents to learn how your student can win scholarships)
- Tax planning
- Student work

Net Price:
Net prices is the total cost of attendance for one year, minus the average amount in government grants and institutional scholarships the school awards. This is an average, so you may pay above the average or below the average. Your exact net price is likely to be different and sometimes drastically different.
Most families will pay the net price with some combination of savings and investments, current income and various loans. Some students will also receive scholarships from sources other than the federal or state government or the college. Any scholarships and grants from these outside sources are not included in the data. However, government grants and institutional scholarships are included in the averages.
Total Cost at University of South Dakota (2020-21) | |
---|---|
Tuition and Fees | $9,332 |
Room and Board | $8,410 |
Books | $1,200 |
Other Expenses | $4,560 |
Total | $23,502 |
Total Cost:
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for that particular institution for the 2020-21 school year. This is the latest data available as of January 2023. Total costs include:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
College Total Cost | ||
---|---|---|
Family Income | SD Public $23,139 | SD Private $40,535 |
$0 - $30k | $13,780 | $21,068 |
$30,001 – $48k | $15,863 | $20,788 |
$48,001 – $75k | $18,258 | $21,894 |
$75,001 – $110k | $20,007 | $24,851 |
$110,001+ | $19,899 | $25,719 |
Public vs. Private Averages
This table shows the average total cost of attendance for the South Dakota public and private colleges we have included in our analysis. The costs include a breakdown of the average net price paid by family income. Notice that the average private college is $4,000-$8,000 more than the average public school, depending on your income bracket. It is important to stress that these are averages. Most families will not be average, and their individual circumstances could be drastically different. I encourage all families to work with their preferred colleges to get information specific to their family.
Below are similar charts for each individual private and public college in South Dakota. Click a school to view its complete chart.
Public SD Schools Cost Breakdown
-
Black Hills State University
Spearfish Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $8,672 $9,000 Room and Board $7,200 $7,400 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $4,500 $4,500 Total $21,572 $22,100 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $12,147 $12,444 $30,001 - $48k $13,989 $14,331 $48,001 - $75k $17,062 $17,480 $75,001 - $110k $18,323 $18,771 $110,001+ $19,133 $19,601 -
Dakota State University
Madison Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $9,536 $9,633 Room and Board $7,148 $7,148 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $4,874 $4,874 Total $22,758 $22,855 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $14,239 $14,300 $30,001 - $48k $16,350 $16,420 $48,001 - $75k $18,089 $18,166 $75,001 - $110k $20,432 $20,519 $110,001+ $20,118 $20,204 -
Northern State University
Aberdeen Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $8,750 $8,845 Room and Board $8,925 $9,150 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $4,200 $4,300 Total $23,075 $23,495 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $12,686 $12,917 $30,001 - $48k $15,992 $16,283 $48,001 - $75k $17,487 $17,805 $75,001 - $110k $18,741 $19,082 $110,001+ $18,269 $18,602
-
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $11,020 $12,110 Room and Board $7,980 $8,140 Books $2,050 $2,060 Other Expenses $4,400 $4,400 Total $25,450 $26,710 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $14,832 $15,566 $30,001 - $48k $16,887 $17,723 $48,001 - $75k $19,740 $20,717 $75,001 - $110k $21,660 $22,732 $110,001+ $20,825 $21,856 -
South Dakota State University
Brookings Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $9,200 $9,299 Room and Board $8,069 $8,054 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $4,007 $4,063 Total $22,476 $22,616 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $13,901 $13,988 $30,001 - $48k $15,639 $15,736 $48,001 - $75k $18,038 $18,150 $75,001 - $110k $19,546 $19,668 $110,001+ $19,975 $20,099 -
University of South Dakota
Vermillion Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $9,332 $9,432 Room and Board $8,410 $8,600 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $4,560 $4,625 Total $23,502 $23,857 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $14,873 $15,098 $30,001 - $48k $16,321 $16,568 $48,001 - $75k $19,130 $19,419 $75,001 - $110k $21,342 $21,664 $110,001+ $21,074 $21,392
Private SD Schools Cost Breakdown
-
Augustana University
Sioux Falls Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $35,884 $35,914 Room and Board $8,616 $8,858 Books $1,000 $1,000 Other Expenses $6,300 $6,500 Total $51,800 $52,272 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $23,515 $23,729 $30,001 - $48k $21,443 $21,638 $48,001 - $75k $24,030 $24,249 $75,001 - $110k $28,799 $29,061 $110,001+ $29,162 $29,428 -
Dakota Wesleyan University
Mitchell Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $29,770 $30,880 Room and Board $7,350 $7,350 Books $1,000 $1,200 Other Expenses $1,850 $1,850 Total $39,970 $41,280 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,321 $17,889 $30,001 - $48k $19,815 $20,464 $48,001 - $75k $19,904 $20,556 $75,001 - $110k $23,374 $24,140 $110,001+ $23,174 $23,934
-
Mount Marty College
Yankton Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $29,136 $29,980 Room and Board $8,346 $8,554 Books $1,200 $1,200 Other Expenses $4,426 $4,482 Total $43,108 $44,216 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $18,823 $19,307 $30,001 - $48k $17,194 $17,636 $48,001 - $75k $17,963 $18,425 $75,001 - $110k $21,281 $21,828 $110,001+ $24,158 $24,779 -
Presentation College
Aberdeen Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $21,375 $22,006 Room and Board $10,128 $10,430 Books $1,278 $1,704 Other Expenses $2,987 $3,506 Total $35,768 $37,646 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $27,821 $29,282 $30,001 - $48k $28,619 $30,122 $48,001 - $75k $28,896 $30,413 $75,001 - $110k $27,814 $29,274 $110,001+ $27,934 $29,401 -
University of Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls Year 2020-21 2021-22 Tuition and Fees $19,520 $19,900 Room and Board $7,770 $7,930 Books $950 $1,000 Other Expenses $3,790 $3,840 Total $32,030 $32,670 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,861 $18,218 $30,001 - $48k $16,870 $17,207 $48,001 - $75k $18,678 $19,051 $75,001 - $110k $22,986 $23,445 $110,001+ $24,167 $24,650
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