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Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota

2023 Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota

12 Colleges
$66,704 Avg Salary
$38,228 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Nursing School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, nursing was the most popular one in South Dakota. In total, 1,022 people earned a degree or certificate in the field from a school in South Dakota.

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota ranking. This report analyzed 12 schools in South Dakota to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota

The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Nursing Schools

#1

Mount Marty University

Yankton, SD

Our 2023 rankings named Mount Marty University the best school in South Dakota for nursing students. Located in the remote town of Yankton, Mount Marty is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

While working on their degree, nursing majors at Mount Marty accumulate an average of around $28,832 in student debt.

Full Nursing at Mount Marty University Report

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#2

Augustana University

Sioux Falls, SD

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Augustana University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota list. Augustana Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Sioux Falls.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Augustana Sioux Falls take out is $27,000.

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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means South Dakota State University is a great place for nursing students. Located in the town of Brookings, South Dakota State is a public college with a large student population.

Nursing majors at South Dakota State take out an average of $28,000 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $162.

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#4

University of South Dakota

Vermillion, SD

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of South Dakota. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota list. USD is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of Vermillion.

Nursing majors at USD take out an average of $31,870 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $129.

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Out of the 12 schools in South Dakota that were part of this year’s ranking, Lake Area Technical Institute landed the # 5 spot on the list. LATI is a small public school located in the remote town of Watertown.

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#6

Southeast Technical College

Sioux Falls, SD

Southeast Technical College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for nursing students. It came in at #6 on the list. Southeast Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Sioux Falls.

The average amount in student loans that nursing majors at Southeast Tech take out is $33,500.

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#7

Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD

Presentation College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota ranking. Presentation College is a fairly small private not-for-profit school located in the remote town of Aberdeen.

On average, nursing graduates from Presentation College take out $46,511 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Nursing at Presentation College Report

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#8

University of Sioux Falls

Sioux Falls, SD

University of Sioux Falls ranked #8 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota list. University of Sioux Falls is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Sioux Falls.

Nursing majors at University of Sioux Falls take out an average of $31,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

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Dakota Wesleyan University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in South Dakota list. Located in the town of Mitchell, Dakota Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly small student population.

Nursing majors at Dakota Wesleyan University take out an average of $34,288 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Nursing at Dakota Wesleyan University Report

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With a ranking of #10, Western Dakota Technical Institute did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Western Dakota Tech is a small public school located in the rural area of Rapid City.

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Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Region

Explore all the Best Nursing Colleges in the Plains States Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Missouri 6,840
Minnesota 14,890
Kansas 2,633
Iowa 2,966
Nebraska 1,908
North Dakota 976

Nursing is one of 30 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Health & Medical Administrative Services 89,359
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services 84,492
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants 84,274
Allied Health Professions 82,308
Public Health 40,596

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 12 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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