Cost of College

It’s helpful to understand that there are many factors that contribute to the cost of college. People often focus on tuition costs alone, but the total price of college actually includes additional expenses ranging from fees to gas money.

What Factors into the Cost of College

A term you will often hear when learning about the cost of college is the “COA”. The COA stands for Cost of Attendance and is the calculation a student would pay to attend a particular institution for a single year – without factoring in financial aid or scholarships.

The COA includes direct and indirect costs. Direct costs are paid to the college, whereas indirect costs are other necessary living expenses that are not paid to the school.

Cost of College Factors

What do tuition and fees pay for?
What do living expenses include?
What's the cost of books and supplies?
What other expenses are figured into the cost?
Other considerations?

Average Cost of Attendance (COA) in South Dakota*

The average Cost of Attendance at South Dakota’s state public technical colleges and universities for resident and non-resident students is found below. Remember, this does not take into account financial aid, such as scholarships, grants and work study!

NOTE: A resident and non-resident at the South Dakota public universities is determined by South Dakota Board of Regents’ Policy 3:2 – Resident and Nonresident Classification of Students.

2024 Cost of Attendance Table

*This Cost of Attendance (COA) table shows one year of total expenses, assuming 30 credits plus generally applicable fees. (Generally applicable fees are those fees that are assessed to the general population of students, including the general activity fee and facility fees.) Costs in yellow are “direct costs” paid directly to the school. Room and board applies to direct costs only when the student is living on-campus.

Reduced Tuition Programs

Both the South Dakota Board of Regents and the South Dakota Legislature have established several tuition and fee reductions and waivers for the benefit of specific groups. If you belong to one of the eligible populations, learn more about your opportunity to receive reduced tuition at one of the state’s universities.

Reduced Tuition Programs

Eligible Populations

Employment
Residency
Military
Legacy
Personal Attributes

Calculate Your Cost

South Dakota’s public technical colleges and universities provide net price calculators. These net price calculators allow prospective students to enter information about themselves to see what they might expect to pay AFTER taking grants and scholarship aid into account. Click the links to use our colleges’ net price calculators.

Related Resources

Saving for College
Financial Aid
South Dakota Scholarships

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