South Dakota State University (SDSU) was founded in 1881 as Dakota Agriculture College. It was the first public higher education institution to open in the Dakota Territory and the first agricultural college west of the Mississippi River. The college was initially established to provide educational opportunities for the settlers of South Dakota. Over time, the school’s mission expanded and it developed into a comprehensive university with a variety of programs. In 1964, SDSU became part of the South Dakota Board of Regents system and changed its name to South Dakota State University.
Today, SDSU is a vibrant university offering more than 200 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional degree programs to over 12,000 students from 44 states and 39 countries. The university offers more than 150 student organizations, including numerous fraternities and sororities. It also has an extensive research portfolio that includes projects in areas such as agriculture, engineering, health sciences and natural resources management. In addition to its academic programming, SDSU has an array of sports teams competing at the Division I level in NCAA athletics. The Jackrabbits have won numerous conference championships across a number of sports since joining Division I athletics in 2004-2005. Finally, SDSU boasts many notable alumni who have gone on to become successful leaders in their respective fields throughout South Dakota and beyond. See topschoolsintheusa for GRE test centers in Arkansas.
South Dakota State University, as one of the top colleges ranked by major educational institutions, has impressed us by its high selectivity and student friendly application process during admissions. The following tables detail 2018 class profile, including total applications received, average high school GPA, SAT scores/ACT scores, and acceptance rates of South Dakota State University. To learn more about GPA, SAT and ACT scores information, please follow the links below. If you want to find even more about South Dakota State University, such as tuition fees and scholarships, you can click the link after tables to visit the school’s official website.
University acronym: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/sdsu_south-dakota-state-university.html
Admissions Stats
South Dakota State University (SDSU) is a public research university located in Brookings, South Dakota. Established in 1881, it is the state’s largest and most comprehensive university and the oldest continually-operating university in the Dakotas. In 2019, SDSU enrolled 12,743 students from across South Dakota and beyond. Of these students, 55% were undergraduates, 30% were graduate students, and 15% were professional students. The student body was predominantly white (83%); followed by Asian/Pacific Islander (4%), Hispanic (3%), African American (2%), Native American/Alaskan Native (.5%), and other (.5%).
The acceptance rate at SDSU for the 2019-2020 academic year was 79%. Of those accepted, 74% of them chose to enroll at the school. The average ACT score of incoming freshman was 23 out of a possible 36 points. The average GPA of incoming freshman was 3.45 on a 4.0 scale. The most popular majors among undergraduates are Nursing, Business Administration & Management, Animal Sciences & Husbandry, Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, and Psychology.
Fall 2022 Selectivity
| Selectivity | selective |
| Fall 2022 acceptance rate | 91% |
| Early decision acceptance rate | N/A |
| Early action acceptance rate | N/A |
| Acceptance rate (excluding early action and early decision students) | 91% |
Fall 2022 Applications, Acceptances & Enrollments
| Applicants | 4,604 |
| Female applicants | 2,304 |
| Male applicants | 2,300 |
| Applicants accepted | 4,205 |
| Female applicants accepted | 2,099 |
| Male applicants accepted | 2,106 |
| Freshman enrollment | 2,247 |
| Female freshman enrollment | 1,101 |
| Male freshman enrollment | 1,146 |
| Early decision applicants | N/A |
| Early decision applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early decision applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Early action applicants | N/A |
| Early action applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early action applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Total enrolled incoming freshmen who were accepted under early acceptance or early action | N/A |
Fall 2022 Wait List
| School has a wait list | No |
| Applicants placed on wait list | N/A |
| Students accepting place on wait list | N/A |
| Students accepted from wait list | N/A |
Fall 2022 High School Rank
| Freshman students submitting high school class standing | 94% |
Fall 2022 High School GPA
| Freshman students submitting high school GPA | 98% |
| Average high school GPA | 3.3 |
| High school GPA 25th-75th percentile range | 2.9-3.7 |
Fall 2022 Freshman SAT Scores
| Freshman students submitting SAT scores | N/A |
| SAT Critical Reading average score | N/A |
| SAT Critical Reading 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| SAT Critical Reading score breakdown | N/A |
| SAT Math average score | N/A |
| SAT Math 25th-75th percentile range: | N/A |
| SAT Math score breakdown | N/A |
| SAT Writing average score | N/A |
| SAT Writing 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| SAT Essay 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
Fall 2022 Freshman ACT Scores
| Freshman students submitting ACT scores | 97% |
| Average ACT Composite score | 23 |
| ACT Composite 25th-75th percentile range | 20-25 |
| ACT English 25th-75th percentile range | 19-25 |
| ACT Math 25th-75th percentile range | 19-26 |