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Understanding the true cost of college is an important part of planning for your future. While tuition is often the first number students see, the total Cost of Attendance (COA) includes all estimated expenses associated with attending college, including housing, meals, books, supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.
South Dakota residents benefit from some of the region’s most affordable public university tuition. And that’s just the starting point—many students pay even less after scholarships, grants, reduced tuition programs, and financial aid are applied.
For students considering the public university pathway, South Dakota resident tuition offers a significant cost advantage compared with neighboring states.
A term you’ll often hear when researching college costs is Cost of Attendance (COA). COA is an estimate of what a student can expect to spend to attend a college or university for one academic year before financial aid is applied.
COA includes both direct costs (expenses typically paid to the institution, such as tuition, fees, housing, and meal plans) and indirect costs (expenses not billed by the college, such as books, transportation, and personal expenses).
The average Cost of Attendance (COA) for South Dakota’s public universities and technical colleges is shown below. COA includes tuition and fees, housing, meals, books, transportation, and personal expenses.
Remember: Most students do not pay the full Cost of Attendance. Scholarships, grants, reduced tuition, and financial aid can significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Resident and non-resident classifications at the South Dakota public universities are determined by South Dakota Board of Regents’ Policy 3:2.
COA estimates are based on the 2026-2027 academic year and assume 30 credit hours. Yellow-shaded categories represent direct costs paid to the institution, while non-shaded categories represent indirect expenses such as books, transportation, and personal expenses. Housing and meal costs apply only to students living on campus.
South Dakota offers several tuition reduction programs and waivers for eligible students. Depending on your residency, military status, employment, or other qualifying circumstances, you may be eligible to pay significantly less than the published tuition rate at one of South Dakota’s public universities.
Explore Reduced Tuition ProgramsSouth Dakota’s public universities and technical colleges provide Net Price Calculators to help students estimate what they may actually pay after scholarships, grants, and financial aid are applied. Enter a few details about yourself to receive a personalized estimate from each institution.
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