University of South Dakota
75%
Acceptance rate
$13,616
Tuition/yr
10,000
Enrollment
16:1
Student:Faculty
About University of South Dakota
Public research university in South Dakota. Strong business, education, and STEM programs.
The University of South Dakota (USD) is a public research university founded in 1862 in Vermillion, South Dakota. It is the state's flagship university and holds the distinction of housing South Dakota's only allopathic medical school (Sanford School of Medicine) and its only law school (Knudson School of Law). Total enrollment for fall 2025 reached 10,405 students across all campuses.
USD's strongest programs include health sciences, medical biology, nursing, kinesiology, psychology, business analytics, and computer science. The Sanford School of Medicine is nationally recognized for its Frontier and Rural Medicine (FARM) program. The Knudson School of Law is noted as a national leader in producing judicial clerks. At the undergraduate level, nursing, medical biology, and kinesiology consistently rank among the most enrolled programs.
Vermillion is a small college town in southeastern South Dakota with a 274-acre campus. The university is ranked No. 283 among National Universities and No. 157 among Top Public Schools by U.S. News & World Report (2026 edition). The student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1, and undergraduate enrollment stands at approximately 7,619 (fall 2024).
World University Rankings
Campus & Location
SD
Suburban
Optional Practical Training (OPT)
All graduates qualify for 12-month OPT. STEM-designated programs (CS, Engineering, Data Science, Mathematics, Sciences) qualify for 24-month STEM OPT extension — 36 months total work authorisation.
For Nepali students
- USD's annual international undergraduate tuition and fees are approximately $13,616, well below the US average for public flagships, making it one of the more affordable accredited public universities for Nepali students seeking a US degree.
- USD offers merit-based scholarships for international students, including the International Excellence Scholarship (covering up to full non-resident tuition) and the Coyote Beginnings Scholarship (up to $4,000/year based on GPA), with no separate application required.
- Nepali students in STEM fields benefit from USD's broad STEM-OPT designation across programs such as Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Business Analytics, Medical Biology, and Artificial Intelligence, enabling up to three years of post-graduation work authorization in the US.
- Health sciences and medical biology are among USD's highest-enrollment programs, offering a strong academic pathway for Nepali students aiming to pursue graduate medical or nursing careers in the United States.
Admission requirements — Nepali equivalents
A rough translation of the published minimums for Nepali applicants:
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