Brookings, South Dakota · Public · 4-year · Remote town
Overview
South Dakota State University is a public four-year institution in Brookings, South Dakota. The campus sits in a remote town. Fall 2024 enrollment was 12,056, made up of 10,719 undergraduates and 1,337 graduate students. It is a land-grant institution. It holds the Carnegie R2 designation for high research activity. It is part of South Dakota Board of Regents.
South Dakota State University offers certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and professional doctorates across 148 programs. Its largest programs by number of graduates are Registered Nursing, Business/Managerial Economics, and General Studies. It awarded 2,527 degrees and certificates in 2024-25.
84% of full-time first-year students return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17 to 1.
Key figures
12,056
Students enrolled
84%
First-year retention
2,527
Degrees and certificates awarded, 2024-25
148
Programs and majors
17:1
Student-to-faculty ratio
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Delivery modes
CampusOnlineHybrid
Program levels
CertificateAssociateBachelorMasterPhDProfessional
Programs and majors offered 148
Graduate counts are degrees and certificates awarded in each program between July 2024 and June 2025. Largest fields are listed first.
Retention is for students who started in fall 2023 and returned in fall 2024.
First-year retention, full-time students
84%
First-year retention, part-time students
60%
Student-to-faculty ratio
17:1
Degrees and certificates awarded
Awards conferred between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Bachelor's degrees
1,831
Associate degrees
119
Master's degrees
377
Doctoral degrees (research)
44
Professional doctorates
63
Certificates under 1 year
65
Postbaccalaureate certificates
26
Post-master's certificates
2
Enrollment
Students, fall 2024
12,056
Undergraduates, fall 2024
10,719
Graduate students, fall 2024
1,337
Full-time, fall 2024
72%
Students over the full 2024-25 year
14,131
Undergraduates, 2024-25
12,489
Graduate students, 2024-25
1,642
Full-time, 2024-25
64%
Size category
10,000 to 19,999 students
Student body
Share of all students enrolled during 2024-25. Small groups can round to zero and are not listed.
Women
57%
Men
43%
White
80%
Hispanic or Latino
3%
Black or African American
1%
Asian
1%
Two or more races
2%
American Indian or Alaska Native
1%
International (U.S. nonresident)
7%
Race or ethnicity unknown
3%
Online and flexible learning
Distance education in 2024-25.
Programs with a fully online option
47
Online undergraduate programs
Yes
Online graduate programs
Yes
Students studying fully online
24%
Students taking some online courses
48%
Campus and services
Setting
Remote town
Academic calendar
Semester
Part of
South Dakota Board of Regents
Carnegie classification
Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity
Research designation
Research 2: High Spending and Doctorate Production
Athletic association
NCAA
Athletic conference
Missouri Valley Conference; The Summit League
President
Barry H. Dunn
Services and opportunities
Study abroad, ROTC, Undergraduate research, Teacher certification, Academic and career counseling, Student employment services, Job placement for graduates, Accepts AP credit, Credit for life experience
For veterans and service members
Credit for military training, Dedicated veterans contact, Student veteran organization