South Dakota · Registered Nursing

Best institutions to study Registered Nursing in South Dakota

The Registered Nursing program prepares students to become healthcare professionals who provide essential care to patients in various settings. This program covers a comprehensive curriculum that equips students with the necessary skills…

Institutions
12
offering CIP 51.38
States & territories
57
with a program page
Degrees / yr
911
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median grad earnings
$67,981
1 year after graduation
With earnings data
8
College Scorecard
Median net price
$22,972
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
54%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Registered Nurses
$77,140
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 8 institutions, ranked by graduate earnings

Earnings = median 1 year after graduation (College Scorecard).

#InstitutionGrad earnings (1 yr)CompletionsGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Augustana University
Sioux Falls Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$72,2377373%$23,011$27,000
2South Dakota State University
Brookings Public · Bachelor's degree
$71,75835362%$28,000
3University of South Dakota
Vermillion Public · Bachelor's degree
$71,75810960%$28,644
4University of Sioux Falls
Sioux Falls Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$70,6223963%$19,439$31,000
5Dakota Wesleyan University
Mitchell Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$67,9813348%$17,608$31,000
6Lake Area Technical College
Watertown Public · Associate degree
$66,2335173%$26,212
7Mount Marty University
Yankton Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$66,18310452%$22,972$27,000
8Southeast Technical College
Sioux Falls Public · Associate degree
$62,6018259%$28,239

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Registered Nurses (SOC 29-1141).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.9%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~189,100
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$93,600
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Critical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionMonitoringWriting

What Registered Nurses earn in South Dakota

Jobs in South Dakota
14,710
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$77,140
median $78,060
Best-paying metro
$84,070
Rapid City, SD

Related careers

Registered Nurses
$77,140 avg · 14,710 jobs
Medical and Health Services Managers
$130,720 avg · 1,140 jobs
Nurse Practitioners
$125,160 avg · 1,020 jobs
Nurse Anesthetists
$249,720 avg · 400 jobs
Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
$74,120 avg · 250 jobs
Nurse Midwives

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Registered Nursing programs in South Dakota.

Which Registered Nursing program in South Dakota has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (College Scorecard), Augustana University tops the list at $72,237. Compare it against completions, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Registered Nurses earn in South Dakota?+

The average annual wage for Registered Nurses in South Dakota is $77,140 (median $78,060), across about 14,710 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Registered Nursing program?+

The Registered Nursing program prepares students to become healthcare professionals who provide essential care to patients in various settings. This program covers a comprehensive curriculum that equips students with the necessary skills…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop critical thinking, active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Registered Nurses?+

The national job outlook is about +4.9% growth with around 189,100 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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