Dakota State University
Dakota State University is a public university in Madison, SD, with about 1,489 students on campus and 2,019 more studying only online. Price, graduation and earnings figures on this page count online students too.
The short version on Dakota State University
Most of Dakota State University’s students study online
About 2,019 students take classes only online, against 1,489 on campus. Price, graduation and earnings figures on this page count online students too, so they describe the online college as much as the campus. The students ↓
What you study here makes a big difference to pay
Among Dakota State University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, computer science graduates earn a median $85,696 four years out. Computer software and media applications graduates earn $42,513. Majors ↓
Dakota State University is mostly about computer science
58% of the degrees Dakota State University awards are in computer science; the next biggest field, education, is 16%. Majors ↓
Men outnumber women about two to one
64% of undergraduates are men and 36% are women. The students ↓
This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard; price, graduation and earnings include online students.
The students
2,071 degree-seeking undergraduates.
By race and ethnicity
Women and men
How hard is it to get into Dakota State University?
of applicants admitted
About 18 of every 20 applicants get in.
Test scores of admitted students
The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1215.
The sticker price, and what families really pay
Sticker price: $25,753 a year
Before any grants · out-of-state tuition $12,756
After grants, the average family on aid pays $21,057.
Your family’s price
Average net price after grants, by family income
About $76,660 over 4 years · 26% off the sticker price
Do students finish, and does it pay off?
Debt vs. the paycheck
The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting
$249 a month against about $3,846 a month in pay.
Paying back loans
Federal student loans, this college
of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 83% of U.S. colleges.
Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).
Earnings by family background
Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment
What students study, and what it pays
Share of degrees by field
Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates
And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).
Living in Madison
12% of Madison’s 6,065 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Madison pages.
Other colleges within 30 miles
Straight-line distances from Dakota State University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.
Ask around
Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.