by our College Data Analytics TeamIf you want to know more about South Dakota State University Graduate School, such as what degree programs it offers, how diverse it is, how well it ranks, and more, this is your one-stop resource. Click on any of the following links to jump to that section on this page.
College Factual began producing its annual Best Quality Schools rankings as a means to assist students in finding top-quality graduate colleges and universities that are invested in preparing their students for their future endeavors.Our methodology places a high weight on things such as post-graduation wages, time to graduate, and student-per-faculty ratio. Post-graduation debt, faculty and staff diversity, and other factors are also taken into account.
Out of the 4,630 colleges and universities analyzed in College Factual’s 2026 Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S. ranking, South Dakota State University took the #338 spot.In addition, South Dakota State took the #1 spot for Best Master’s Degree Schools in South Dakota.
South Dakota State was ranked #338 in the 2026 Best Doctorate Schools in the United States ranking out of the 4,630 schools that were included in the ranking.South Dakota State also ranked #1 for Best Doctorate Degree Schools in South Dakota.
### Best Graduate Schools RankingOut of 4,630 schools analyzed in the 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, South Dakota State came in at #338. South Dakota State also ranked #1 for Best Graduate Schools in South Dakota.
During the most recent year for which data is available, 1,337 graduate students attended South Dakota State University.Since diversity is such an important part of the grad school experience, College Factual looked deeper at the demographics of these students.Our findings are below.
Women make up 58.0% of the total graduate student body at South Dakota State while men make up 42.0%. These percentages may be different for specific degree programs.
About 8.2% of the graduate students who attend South Dakota State are from a racial-ethnic minority group*.The school attracts students from outside the U.S., too. Around 31.9% of graduate students hail from another country.For more details on graduate school diversity at the school, check out the chart below. If you click on it, you’ll be taken to a page with more details.
Data on the average tuition and fees for full-time graduate students at the school is not available.
The typical graduate student at South Dakota State who borrowed carries a median debt of $25,050.
The average early-career salary for master’s degree recipients from South Dakota State is $51,253.
Professional degree recipients from South Dakota State earn an average early-career salary of $136,451.
Early-career pay varies by field of study. The following table shows the graduate fields of study at South Dakota State with the highest average early-career salaries for recent graduates.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences | $138,305 |
| Nursing | $120,458 |
| Educational Administration | $63,921 |
| Chemistry | $59,387 |
| Architecture. | $51,991 |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | $51,269 |
| Student Counseling | $51,221 |
| Health & Physical Education | $42,170 |
South Dakota State University is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota.Brookings is a good match for students who enjoy small-town life. Get more details about the location of South Dakota State University.
Contact details for South Dakota State are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 1004 Campanile Ave, Brookings, SD 57007-1898 |
| Phone: | 800-952-3541 |
| Website: | www.sdstate.edu/ |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/SouthDakotaStateUniversity |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/sdstate |
Around 38.7% of South Dakota State graduate students took at least one course online.For that same period, 23.9% of grad students took all of their classes online.
Listed here are the degree programs in which the school awarded master’s degrees.
As with the master’s degree programs, only the programs that awarded doctorate degrees are shown here.
| Doctorate Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Agricultural Engineering | 5 | — |
| Animal Science | 6 | — |
| Applied Mathematics | 1 | — |
| Biochemistry & Biophysics | 4 | — |
| Chemistry | 6 | — |
| Civil Engineering | 2 | — |
| Electrical Engineering | 4 | — |
| Food Science Technology | 2 | — |
| Food, Nutrition & Related Services | 2 | — |
| General Biology | 1 | — |
| Microbiology Science & Immunology | 1 | — |
| Natural Resources Conservation | 3 | — |
| Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences | 1 | — |
| Plant Sciences | 6 | — |
| Sociology | 1 | — |
| Wildlife Management | 1 | — |
Listed here are the programs in which South Dakota State University awarded a graduate certificate.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Animal Science | 1 | — |
| Biotechnology | 2 | — |
| Data Science. | 7 | — |
| Engineering-Related Fields | 10 | — |
| Management Sciences & Methods | 1 | — |
| Student Counseling | 3 | — |
Only the programs in which a professional degree was awarded are shown here.
| Professional Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 15 | $120,458 |
| Pharmacy/Pharmaceutical Sciences | 58 | $138,305 |
Only the programs in which a post-masters certificate was awarded are shown here.
| Post-Masters Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 7 | — |
Footnotes
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
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