Students walking across campus in front of the engineering building.

Awards and Rankings

EduRank places South Dakota State University among the top

SDSU ranked among world's top 6% of universities

  • South Dakota State University has been recognized as one of the world's top universities, ranking in the top 5.6% among 14,131 colleges and universities across 183 countries, according to new rankings from EduRank.

SDSU ranked among the top 9% in the U.S.

  • SDSU also ranks among the top 9% of all U.S. colleges and universities and is the No. 1 ranked university in South Dakota.

SDSU placed in the top 100 in the U.S. across 10 subject areas

  • Animal science – No. 32
  • Agricultural engineering –No. 42
  • Forestry – No. 44
  • Nutrition and food science – No. 52
  • Forensic science – No. 56
  • Renewable energy engineering – No. 60
  • Agricultural science – No. 60
  • Remote sensing – No. 63
  • Horticulture – No. 72
  • Veterinary – No. 76

Recent Awards
South Dakota State University students enjoy coffee and conversation at Kool Beans Coffee and Roasterie in downtown Brookings.
Brookings makes top 10 list for best college towns in Midwest

Brookings has been ranked the No. 9 best college town in the Midwest in RentCafe’s 2025 Best College Towns in the U.S. report. The recognition places Brookings ahead of all other college towns in South Dakota and in neighboring states of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and North Dakota.
Aerial view of the SDSU Campus during sunrise
Ranked No. 5 in Best Value Colleges for International Students

This ranking is out of 1,204 colleges in the U.S. that offer four-year degrees. South Dakota State is in the top 1% for international students seeking quality and affordability in U.S. education.
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SDSU recognized as a Tree Campus USA
SDSU has been recognized as a Tree Campus USA annually since 2009.
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Online Nursing ranked first in the state (EduMed)
Ranked 45th nationally.
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Became the nation's ninth Purple Heart Campus
The state's first Purple Heart Campus.
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Brookings scores 100 on equality index for sixth straight year
Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index.
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Top 10 most affordable college towns in the U.S.
Ranked No. 2 (cnbc.com, 2024).
Top Ranked Programs
  • – ranked No. 2
  • – ranked No. 3
Best Online Master's Programs
  • – ranked No. 9
  • – ranked No. 21
  • – ranked No. 31
  • – ranked No. 41
  • – ranked No. 41

Most Affordable

  • – ranked No. 39
Best Online Bachelor's
  • – ranked No. 8
  • – ranked No. 35
  • – ranked No. 37
  • – ranked No. 42
Research Rankings
Featured Stories
Graphic describing 100% NAPLEX First Time Pass Rate for 2024 graduates
Pharmacy grads hit 100% NAPLEX pass rate
South Dakota State University pharmacy students outdid themselves in the 2024 North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination. Dan Hansen, dean of the College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, said 56 of the 59 Pharm.D. graduates took the exam in 2024, and all 56 passed on their first attempt, giving SDSU a 100% pass rate.
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South Dakota State University named a top packaging innovation research university
Researchers in South Dakota State University's College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences are developing the next generation of innovative packaging materials that may help curb the Earth's ongoing plastic waste crisis.
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