2026 Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota
Nursing programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for nursing students pursuing a degree.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Nursing in South Dakota
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the nursing degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Nursing
South Dakota State University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in nursing. This large public university is located in the town of Brookings. About 62% of students finish within six years. About 361 nursing degrees were awarded at South Dakota State University in the most recent year. Students who receive their nursing degree from South Dakota State University earn around $99,864 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $28,000 to complete this degree.
See the full nursing program report for South Dakota State University
University Of South Dakota came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best nursing schools. University Of South Dakota is a large public school located in the town of Vermillion. About 60% of students finish within six years. University Of South Dakota awarded about 133 nursing degrees in the most recent data year. Nursing graduates of University Of South Dakota earn a median of $71,758 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $32,298.
See the full nursing program report for University Of South Dakota
Students looking for a strong nursing program will find one at Augustana College South Dakota, which ranked #3. Augustana College South Dakota is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux Falls. Augustana College South Dakota graduates 73% of students within six years. There were roughly 46 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Augustana College South Dakota in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients from Augustana College South Dakota generally make around $72,237. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
Get the full nursing details for Augustana College South Dakota
A rank of #4 makes Mitchell Technical Institute one of the top schools for nursing. Mitchell Technical Institute is a small public school located in the town of Mitchell. Mitchell Technical Institute awarded about 21 nursing degrees in the most recent data year. Nursing graduates of Mitchell Technical Institute earn a median of $47,686 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $12,730 to complete this degree.
Read more about the nursing program at Mitchell Technical Institute
A rank of #5 makes Southeast Technical Institute one of the top schools for nursing. Southeast Technical Institute is a mid-sized public school located in the city of Sioux Falls. About 39 nursing degrees were awarded at Southeast Technical Institute in the most recent year. Students who receive their nursing degree from Southeast Technical Institute earn around $62,601 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $28,239.
More information about a degree in nursing from Southeast Technical Institute
Mount Marty College placed #6 among the best nursing schools. Located in the town of Yankton, Mount Marty College is a small private not-for-profit university. Roughly 52% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 68 nursing degrees were awarded at Mount Marty College in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients from Mount Marty College generally make around $152,247. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete this degree.
See the full nursing program report for Mount Marty College
Lake Area Technical Institute earned the #7 position for nursing this year. This mid-sized public university is located in the town of Watertown. About 47 nursing degrees were awarded at Lake Area Technical Institute in the most recent year. Graduates of the nursing program make about $66,233 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $26,212.
Get the full nursing details for Lake Area Technical Institute
University Of Sioux Falls placed #8 among the best nursing schools. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Sioux Falls. University Of Sioux Falls graduates 62% of students within six years. University Of Sioux Falls awarded about 38 nursing degrees in the most recent data year. Nursing graduates of University Of Sioux Falls earn a median of $70,622 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $31,000.
More information about a degree in nursing from University Of Sioux Falls
Dakota Wesleyan University placed #9 among the best nursing schools. Set in the town of Mitchell, Dakota Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit institution. About 48% of students finish within six years. Dakota Wesleyan University awarded about 42 nursing degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their nursing degree from Dakota Wesleyan University earn around $67,981 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $31,000 to complete this degree.
See the full nursing program report for Dakota Wesleyan University
Western Dakota Technical Institute placed #10 among the best nursing schools. Set in the city of Rapid City, Western Dakota Technical Institute is a small public institution. About 34 nursing degrees were awarded at Western Dakota Technical Institute in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, nursing degree recipients from Western Dakota Technical Institute generally make around $37,839. Students borrow a median of $15,620 to complete this degree.
See the full nursing program report for Western Dakota Technical Institute
Oglala Lakota College came in at #11 for nursing this year. Oglala Lakota College is a small public school located in the rural area of Kyle. Roughly 9% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 17 nursing students who graduated with this degree at Oglala Lakota College in the most recent data year.
See the full nursing program report for Oglala Lakota College
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 12 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
