Cost, debt & salary

Is University of South Dakota worth it? What it costs, and what graduates earn

You would borrow a median $23,592 — about $268 a month for ten years. Graduates earn a median $51,926 ten years after starting, so the debt clears in roughly 1.9 years of the salary premium.

D

Is it worth the money?

Be careful — the salary here takes noticeably longer than average to clear the debt.

You borrow $23,592 median federal debt at graduation
You repay $268/mo standard 10-year federal plan
You earn $51,926 median, 10 years after entry · beats 36%
Debt clears in 1.9 yrs ranked 596 of 810

What that feels like each month Repayment against the salary that has to cover it.

Gross monthly pay
$4,327
Loan repayment
$268
Share of your pay
6.2%
0%15% — the comfort line25%

Under roughly 15% of gross pay, repayment is generally considered manageable alongside rent and living costs.

Cut the debt before you borrow it

We do not list an award tied specifically to University of South Dakota yet — but national, country and subject scholarships still apply to students heading there, and each one cuts the $23,592 above.

Browse scholarships for the USA →

Need a student loan for University of South Dakota?

Tell us what you need and we will come back with the lenders that actually fund students from your country — including options with no US co-signer. No obligation, and we never charge you.

Free for students. We are not a lender and give no financial advice — we pass your request to partners and may be paid by them if you go ahead. One request per person per service; sending it again simply updates what we hold.

How University of South Dakota compares Against the 810 US universities we grade on payback.

The typical graded university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,146 against $22,500 of debt. University of South Dakota takes longer than that, and its graduates earn $12,406 a year more than a US worker with only a high-school diploma.

Nearby universityGradeDebtEarningsPayback
Dakota Wesleyan University South Dakota D $27,000 $53,728 1.9 yrs
Dakota State University South Dakota D $23,500 $50,970 2.1 yrs
University of Sioux Falls South Dakota C $23,249 $54,521 1.6 yrs
South Dakota State University South Dakota C $23,250 $55,070 1.5 yrs
Augustana University South Dakota C $25,000 $59,217 1.3 yrs

University of South Dakota — the money questions

How much do graduates of University of South Dakota earn?
Median earnings are $51,926 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled — from tax records, not a survey. That is higher than 36% of the US universities we hold figures for.
How much debt will I have at University of South Dakota?
The median graduate leaves with $23,592 of federal loans. On the standard ten-year plan that is about $268 a month — roughly 6.2% of the median graduate's monthly pay before tax.
How long does a degree from University of South Dakota take to pay for itself?
About 1.9 years of the salary premium — the amount graduates earn above the $39,520 a US worker with only a high-school diploma makes. That ranks it 596 of 810 US universities we grade on payback.
Can scholarships reduce this debt?
We do not currently list a scholarship tied specifically to University of South Dakota, but national and subject-based awards still apply — start from our scholarships listing.
Do these numbers apply to my subject?
No. The Department of Education publishes one figure per institution, so nursing, engineering and fine art students at University of South Dakota all sit inside the same median. Treat it as the size of the financial risk, not a salary forecast for your course.
University of South Dakota profile Programmes at University of South Dakota University of South Dakota scholarships University of South Dakota review & grade Compare with Dakota Wesleyan University Payback across South Dakota What University of South Dakota costs Student loan record SAT scores & admission Fastest-paying US degrees Lowest student debt How we calculate this

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard — earnings and debt cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject taught at the institution. Figures imported 28 Aug 2026. This page is information, not financial advice.