by our College Data Analytics TeamThe majority of students are not billed the complete price tag of a school. Rather, they are presented a financial aid deal that includes a mix of loans, grants, scholarships, and possibly work-study opportunities. The total price of attendance at University of South Dakota can feel tremendous, but do not forget that almost all students receive some sort of financial help.
Just what financing solutions does USD deliver, and just what are you going to be eligible for? Keep scrolling for answers. Keep reading to learn what amount of financial assistance will be accessible to you.
The amount of financial aid you can receive varies from person to person and will depend on your family’s economic situation. Read on to get a sense of the financial assistance available at University of South Dakota.
Through a mix of loans, grants, work-study and scholarships, schools bring down the effective cost so more students can attend. Keep in mind that certain forms of assistance are more beneficial than others, and aid amounts differ from student to student.
For freshmen starting at University of South Dakota, 95% of first-year full-time students received aid of some kind some 1267 incoming students).
| Type of Aid | % of Freshmen Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 83% | $5,623 |
| Institutional grants & scholarships | 74% | $3,836 |
| Federal Pell grants | 25% | $5,406 |
| State/local grants | 15% | $1,567 |
| Federal student loans | 60% | $5,130 |
Because grants and scholarships do not have to be repaid, they are the most sought-after type of financial aid. Across the undergraduate body at USD, around 55% of undergraduate students received gift aid averaging $6,716 (across roughly 3875 students).
| Award | % of Undergrads Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 55% | $6,716 |
| Federal Pell grants | 19% | $5,226 |
| Federal student loans | 40% | $6,149 |
On-campus students receiving title-IV aid were awarded grants averaging $4,564.
Since aid is largely need-based, the real cost of attendance falls steeply for lower-income families.
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 – $48,000 | $14,857 |
| $30,001 – $75,000 | $17,715 |
| Over $75,000 | $21,383 |
Each figure is the net price after grants and scholarships, not the published sticker price.
The net price represents the average annual cost a title-IV-receiving student pays after grant aid is subtracted from the full cost of attendance.
| Cohort | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| On-campus title-IV students | $19,858 |
| Off-campus title-IV students | $19,155 |
To project your own net price, use USD’s net price calculator: www.usd.edu/Admissions-and-Aid/Tuition-and-Costs/Net-Cost-Calculator.
A typical borrower at USD leaves with $17,500 of cumulative federal debt.
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median federal debt (all student-aid borrowers) | $17,500 |
| Median federal debt (graduates only) | $23,592 |
| Typical 10-year monthly payment (graduates) | $250.11/mo |
At a typical 10-year repayment schedule, the median graduate would pay about the monthly figure above.
Percentiles reveal the spread — half of all borrowers fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles. These percentiles trace how cumulative federal debt is spread among borrowers at USD.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $3,500 |
| 25th percentile | $6,379 |
| 75th percentile | $27,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $34,854 |
Debt outcomes are not uniform — they shift with income, first-generation status, and dependency.
Debt by Income Tier
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $17,500 |
| Middle income | $17,186 |
| High income | $17,614 |
By First-Generation Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $17,121 |
| Continuing-generation students | $18,024 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $17,500 |
| Independent students | $18,000 |
The Department of Education computes summary indicators that describe debt outcomes at a glance. USD.
Stafford loans make up the bulk of federal direct lending to undergraduates. Below is the annual Stafford program activity at USD:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Stafford loan recipients | 32807 |
| Total Stafford loan amount | $809,026,362 |
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill or DoD Tuition Assistance.
Post-9/11 GI Bill activity
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| GI Bill recipients | 126 |
| Total GI Bill amount | $873,217 |
| Average GI Bill amount per recipient | $6,930 |
DoD program volume
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 66 |
| Total DoD amount | $197,081 |
| Average DoD amount per recipient | $2,986 |
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.