by our College Data Analytics TeamIf you want to know more about University of South Dakota 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. Use the following list to jump to the section on the page with details on that topic.
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.These rankings are based on components such as post-graduation earnings of students, accumulated student debt of graduates, how much in demand the school is, and faculty and student diversity.
In College Factual’s 2026 ranking of the Best Master’s Degree Schools in the U.S., University of South Dakota landed the #418 spot out of the 4,630 schools analyzed for this list.For the Best Master’s Degree Schools in South Dakota, USD came in at #2.
There were 4,630 college and universities analyzed in the 2026 Best Doctorate Schools in the United States ranking, and USD took the #418 spot on the list.For the Best Doctorate Degree Schools in South Dakota, USD came in at #2.
### Best Graduate Certificate Schools RankingIn College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the United States ranking, USD took the #418 spot out of 4,630 schools. In addition, USD took the #2 spot for Best Graduate Certificate Schools in South Dakota.
USD ranked #418 in College Factual’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools in the United States ranking, out of 4,630 schools. In addition, USD took the #2 spot for Best Graduate Schools in South Dakota.
Around 3,000 graduate students chose to attend University of South Dakota during the most recent year for which we have data.Since diversity is such an important part of the grad school experience, College Factual looked deeper at the demographics of these students.Keep reading to learn more.
Athough the male-female ratio may vary depending on the degree program, 60.5% of the total graduate students at USD are women and 39.5% are men.
Racial-ethnic minorities* make up 10.6% of the graduate student population at USD.USD is popular with people from outside the United States, too. International students make up 13.7% of the graduate student population.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.
The average tuition and fees for graduate students is shown below.
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $11,736 | $31,276 |
| Fees | $3,288 | $3,288 |
The typical graduate student at USD who borrowed carries a median debt of $26,051.
The average early-career salary for master’s degree recipients from USD is $79,268.
Doctoral degree recipients from USD earn an average early-career salary of $130,943.
Professional degree recipients from USD earn an average early-career salary of $133,427.
The graduate programs at USD lead to a range of early-career salaries. The table below lists the graduate fields of study at the school whose recent graduates report the highest early-career earnings.
| Graduate Field of Study | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|
| Medicine | $221,069 |
| Allied Health Professions | $130,586 |
| Business Administration & Management | $108,829 |
| Educational Administration | $90,551 |
| Accounting | $83,795 |
| Public Administration | $79,272 |
| Law | $76,365 |
| Rehabilitation Professions | $74,927 |
| Human Services | $74,375 |
| Communication Sciences | $63,447 |
Located in Vermillion, South Dakota, University of South Dakota is a public institution.Vermillion is a good match for students who enjoy small-town life. Get more details about the location of University of South Dakota.
Contact details for USD are given below.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Address: | 414 E Clark St, Vermillion, SD 57069-2390 |
| Phone: | 605-658-6200 |
| Website: | WWW.USD.EDU |
| Facebook: | www.facebook.com/UniversityofSouthDakota |
| Twitter: | twitter.com/UniversitySD |
62.3% of the graduate students at USD took at least one online course.Roughly 44.7% of all grad students took courses exclusively online.
Listed here are the degree programs in which the school awarded master’s degrees.
| Masters Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting | 27 | $83,795 |
| Allied Health Professions | 24 | $130,586 |
| Biomedical Engineering | 4 | — |
| Business Administration & Management | 104 | $108,829 |
| Chemistry | 7 | — |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 21 | $57,952 |
| Communication & Media Studies | 3 | — |
| Communication Sciences | 27 | $63,447 |
| Computer Information Systems | 128 | — |
| Data Analytics. | 11 | — |
| Drama & Theater Arts | 2 | — |
| Educational Administration | 39 | $77,319 |
| Fine & Studio Arts | 2 | — |
| General Biology | 16 | — |
| General English Literature | 9 | — |
| General Psychology | 6 | — |
| Health & Physical Education | 29 | — |
| Health Sciences & Services | 1 | — |
| History | 3 | — |
| Human Services | 11 | $74,375 |
| Instructional Media Design | 1 | — |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | 5 | — |
| Mathematics | 2 | — |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 79 | — |
| Music | 11 | — |
| Nursing | 4 | — |
| Physics | 2 | — |
| Political Science & Government | 1 | — |
| Public Administration | 13 | $79,272 |
| Public Health | 13 | — |
| Special Education | 9 | $50,278 |
| Sustainability Science | 3 | — |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 16 | — |
Just like the master’s programs above, the doctorate programs shown here are only those in which doctorate degrees were awarded.
| Doctorate Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Biomedical Engineering | 1 | — |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 3 | — |
| Curriculum & Instruction | 3 | — |
| Educational Administration | 10 | $130,943 |
| General Biology | 9 | — |
| General English Literature | 3 | — |
| General Psychology | 3 | — |
| Health Sciences & Services | 2 | — |
| Materials Sciences. | 8 | — |
| Medical Science | 1 | — |
| Physics | 3 | — |
| Political Science & Government | 6 | — |
Only the programs in which a graduate certificate was awarded are shown here.
| Graduate Certificate Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Bioethics/Medical Ethics | 5 | — |
| Business Administration & Management | 8 | — |
| Clinical & Counseling Psychology | 7 | — |
| General Psychology | 1 | — |
| Legal Research | 4 | — |
| Mental & Social Health Services | 3 | — |
| Museum Studies | 3 | — |
| Public Administration | 18 | — |
| Sustainability Science | 2 | — |
| Teacher Education Grade Specific | 11 | — |
The programs below are those in which the school awarded a professional degree.
| Professional Degree Program | Annual Graduates | Avg Early-Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Communication Sciences | 7 | — |
| Law | 75 | $76,365 |
| Medical Science | 1 | — |
| Medicine | 60 | $221,069 |
| Nursing | 3 | — |
| Rehabilitation Professions | 63 | $78,933 |
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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