Affordable Colleges in South Dakota
All 17 colleges in South Dakota, ordered by average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships, not the sticker price on the brochure.
The most affordable is Oglala Lakota College at about $1,895 a year; the costliest here is National American University-Rapid City at $31,062. A typical South Dakota school on this list lands near $19,735.
Cheapest first, that means Oglala Lakota College, Western Dakota Technical College and Sinte Gleska University. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is the right place to start looking.
Narrow it down
Every college in South Dakota, cheapest first · 17
Ranked by average net price per year after grants and scholarships — the figure beside each name, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where the school reports it. Schools that report no net price are listed last.
- Oglala Lakota College
- Western Dakota Technical College
- Sinte Gleska University
- Mitchell Technical College
- Northern State University
- Black Hills State University
- Lake Area Technical College
- Southeast Technical College
- Dakota Wesleyan University
- South Dakota State University
- University of South Dakota
- South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
- Dakota State University
- University of Sioux Falls
- Mount Marty University
- Augustana University
- National American University-Rapid City
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable college in South Dakota?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Oglala Lakota College at about $1,895 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much does college in South Dakota cost on average?
- Across the 17 colleges in South Dakota that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $19,735 a year after aid, running from $1,895 to $31,062.
- Are community colleges cheaper in South Dakota?
- On this data, yes. The typical two-year college in South Dakota has a net price around $15,979 a year, against about $19,858 at the typical four-year school — a difference of roughly $3,879 a year. Credits often transfer, so two years at a community college can cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the colleges listed here it runs from 12% to 59%, with a middle of about 27%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free