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2024 Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota

10 Colleges in South Dakota
1,024 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$66,704 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you pursue a degree in nursing, you won't be alone. The field of study is the #3 most popular program in the country. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in South Dakota to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,024 degrees in nursing during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Nursing School

Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota The nursing program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Nursing rankings. We derive our Best Overall Nursing School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Nursing Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Nursing
Bachelor's Degrees in Nursing
Master's Degrees in Nursing
Doctor's Degrees in Nursing

The nursing school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.


 

Best Schools for Nursing in South Dakota

The schools below may not offer all types of nursing degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.

10 Top South Dakota Schools in Nursing

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Nursing Degrees Awarded
10.5% Growth in Graduates

Mount Marty University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in nursing. Located in the remote town of Yankton, Mount Marty is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #292 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Mount Marty is a great university overall.

There were approximately 76 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Mount Marty in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the nursing program at Mount Marty University earn $51,981 more than the average college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in nursing from Mount Marty University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
342 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$69,032 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat South Dakota State University if you wish to pursue a degree in nursing. Located in the remote town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #267 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means South Dakota State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 342 nursing students who graduated with this degree at South Dakota State in the most recent year we have data available. Nursing degree recipients from South Dakota State University get an earnings boost of around $2,328 above the average income of nursing majors.

More information about a degree in nursing from South Dakota State University

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
198 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$55,563 Median Starting Salary

University of South Dakota is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in nursing. USD is a medium-sized public university located in the distant town of Vermillion. This university ranks 5th out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were about 198 nursing students who graduated with this degree at USD in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, nursing degree recipients generally make an average of $55,563 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of South Dakota

4
Augustana Sioux Falls crest
Augustana University
Sioux Falls, SD
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
83 Nursing Degrees Awarded
3.6% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in nursing needs to check out Augustana University. Augustana Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit university located in the medium-sized city of Sioux Falls. A Best Colleges rank of #363 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Augustana Sioux Falls is a great university overall.

There were approximately 83 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Augustana Sioux Falls in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduating, nursing degree recipients typically earn an average of $60,050 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from Augustana University

5
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Nursing Degrees Awarded
8.9% Growth in Graduates

Located in the rural area of Sioux Falls, Southeast Tech is a public college with a small student population. This college ranks 10th out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were about 56 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Southeast Tech in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the nursing program report average early career wages of $52,979.

More information about a degree in nursing from Southeast Technical College

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In SD
15.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Watertown, LATI is a public school with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #297 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means LATI is a great school overall.

There were roughly 26 nursing students who graduated with this degree at LATI in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in nursing from Lake Area Technical Institute

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
56 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$60,096 Median Starting Salary

University of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit university located in the city of Sioux Falls. This university ranks 11th out of 13 schools for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were roughly 56 nursing students who graduated with this degree at University of Sioux Falls in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, nursing degree recipients generally make around $60,096 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in nursing from University of Sioux Falls

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Nursing Degrees Awarded
$60,155 Median Starting Salary

Located in the town of Mitchell, Dakota Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly small student population. This university ranks 1626th out of 2,217 schools for overall quality nationwide.

There were approximately 51 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Dakota Wesleyan University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program make about $60,155 in the first couple years of working.

More information about a degree in nursing from Dakota Wesleyan University

9
Presentation College crest
Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Nursing Degrees Awarded
15.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the town of Aberdeen, Presentation College is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

There were approximately 102 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Presentation College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the nursing program earn about $60,632 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in nursing from Presentation College

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
10th Most Popular In SD
22.2% Growth in Graduates

Western Dakota Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Rapid City. This school ranks 13th out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of South Dakota.

There were roughly 18 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Western Dakota Tech in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in nursing from Western Dakota Technical Institute


 

Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Minnesota 284 14,831
Missouri 283 6,440
Kansas 266 2,599
Iowa 264 2,901
Nebraska 238 1,885
North Dakota 210 975

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Nursing has other similar majors worth exploring.

Nursing Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Registered Nursing 942
Nurse Anesthetist 33
Family Practice Nurse/Nursing 29
Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing 17
Clinical Nurse Leader 2
Nursing Practice 1

View All Nursing Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Allied Health Professions 258
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 245
Health & Medical Administrative Services 203
Mental & Social Health Services 148
Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences 138
Health Sciences & Services 136
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 130
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science 126
Dental Support Services 79
Communication Sciences 72

View All Nursing Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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