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VermilionSD DowntownPhoto: User:Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0
Colleges in and near Vermillion

Vermillion is a college town: 38 of every 100 residents are students

The University of South Dakota (6,609 students on campus) is inside the city. Across South Dakota, 5 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town38% of residents are studentsUniversity of South Dakota

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Vermillion. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
6,609 students on campus
Nearest college
0.3 mi
University of South Dakota
Residents in college
38%
Above SD (5%)
Nearest community college
55 mi
Southeast Technical College · $7,650 tuition
Nearest public university
0.3 mi
University of South Dakota · $9,432 in-state
Students on campus in Vermillion
6,609
next to 11,720 residents

What stands out about college in Vermillion

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town38 of every 100 Vermillion residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across South Dakota.A university in VermillionThe University of South Dakota has 6,609 students on campus in Vermillion, 60% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at University of South DakotaLiving in South Dakota, the University of South Dakota charges $9,432 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $12,942. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 55 miles awaySoutheast Technical College in Sioux Falls: tuition and fees $7,650 a year for South Dakota residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Vermillion

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

38 of every 100 Vermillion residents are in college (SD: 5).

6,609students on campus at University of South Dakota, next to 11,720 residents (dorm students count as residents)
2,287college students live in Vermillion households rather than dorms
23.1median age · SD 38.0
58%of homes rented · SD 31%
$764median rent · 19% below the state
VermillionVermillion, SD
Cost of living$764/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBIB−HealthCDC estimatesA−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Vermillion’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 24.4% of Vermillion residents are below the poverty line, 11.0% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 7 points either way). 65% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (38% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health A−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Vermillion’s median age is 23.1 (South Dakota 38.0), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Vermillion

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Vermillion.

5 mi10 mi15 miUniversity of South DakotaVermillion
University or collegeCommunity college
University of South DakotaUniversity or college · Public · 6,609 on campus · In Vermillion99%admitted$20knet price60%graduate$52kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Vermillion’s median household income ($50,456) falls.

University of South DakotaIn Vermillion · sticker $24,422$18,540a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Vermillion: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →University of South Dakota
University of South Dakota60% graduate$52k earnings$24k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Vermillion

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at University of South Dakota, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 27%Business 19%Education 9%Biology 7%Parks & recreation 7%Psychology 5%Everything else 26%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing162 graduates a year
$73k4 yrs out
Psychology, General82 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations80 graduates a year
$65k4 yrs out
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General77 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods75 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Biology, General62 graduates a year
$58k4 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services57 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections55 graduates a year
$58k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Vermillion

Is Vermillion a college town?

Yes. 38 of every 100 Vermillion residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 5 across South Dakota. The University of South Dakota has 6,609 students on campus, next to 11,720 residents.

What colleges are in Vermillion?

The University of South Dakota is inside the city. Southeast Technical College is 55 miles away in Sioux Falls.

Why is Vermillion’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 24.4% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 11.0% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 7 points).

What is the closest community college to Vermillion, and what does it cost?

Southeast Technical College in Sioux Falls, 55 miles away. Tuition and fees are $7,650 a year for South Dakota residents; the federal net price, $17,400, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of South Dakota?

The University of South Dakota admitted 99% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,125–1,315 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Vermillion. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →