Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 62/100

University of Sioux Falls

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Sioux Falls, South Dakota

About University of Sioux Falls

Thinking about University of Sioux Falls, a college in South Dakota where more students graduate in Business than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

University of Sioux Falls is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It enrolls 1,218 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
82.9%
Graduation
60.3%
Net Price
$21,383
Median Earnings (10yr)
$54,521
Enrollment
1,218
Student : Faculty
17:1

Accreditor Higher Learning Commission
Academic Calendar 4-1-4 Plan

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
62/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 52
Value 44
Affordability 42
Selectivity 37

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

University of Sioux Falls admits 82.9% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
82.9%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Test Optional Applicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of Sioux Falls is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Getting more selective ↓ 9.4 pts since 2019
91.4%201992.3%202076.7%202176%202282.1%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $21,383 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$21,383
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
29%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
67%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$21,750
Room & Board (on-campus)
$9,270
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,100
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,515
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,045
Total Cost of Attendance
$34,274

Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $18,145
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $17,804
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $17,992
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $21,375
  • Over $110,000
    $24,038

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,718
10% percentile
$6,500
25% percentile
$23,249
Median percentile
$25,000
75% percentile
$30,500
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $16,341 ↓ $6,908
No Pell $15,750 ↓ $7,499
Dependent students $15,750 ↓ $7,499
Independent students $19,359 ↓ $3,890
Female students $18,500 ↓ $4,749
Male students $14,875 ↓ $8,374
Pell recipients: 16.2% (3,777 students)No Pell: 15.7% (3,641 students)Dependent students: 15.7% (3,641 students)Independent students: 19.2% (4,475 students)Female students: 18.4% (4,276 students)Male students: 14.8% (3,439 students)Overall Median$23,249
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,500, less than completers ($23,249), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

60% of students who start here finish within six years, and 75% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
60%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
75%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $54,521 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$54,521
Earning > $25K
83%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$46,000$48,000$51,000$53,000$56,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$36,500

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$53,500

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$39,000

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$47,300

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$45,700

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $17,000, about 32% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 10.3 pts across 6 years
81.3%1yr82.6%3yr89.7%5yr91.6%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 92% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,218 students, a small, close-knit community.

Total Enrolled
1,218
Part-Time
8%
First-Generation
25%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 75.5% 920
Hispanic 6.9% 84
Other 6.5% 79
Black 4.7% 57
Asian 1.8% 22
International 1.2% 14
White: 75.5% (920 students)Hispanic: 6.9% (84 students)Other: 6.5% (79 students)Black: 4.7% (57 students)Asian: 1.8% (22 students)International: 1.2% (14 students)Total1,218

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at University of Sioux Falls. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize City Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Housing
Mostly residential 766 beds on campus
Adult Learners
9% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
4-1-4 Plan scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Education graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

University of Sioux Falls offers an extensive catalog of programs: 42 distinct programs across 19 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

5 Programs
5 Programs
1 Program
3 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 17 students for every instructor here: on the higher side, so larger classes are common.

Student : Faculty
17:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$74M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$63,452
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

58 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 16 28% $71,715
Associate Professors 19 33% $63,246
Assistant Professors 21 36% $59,434
Instructors 2 3% $41,507

Pros & Cons of University of Sioux Falls

No college is right for everyone. Here is where University of Sioux Falls is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Class sizes are on the higher side
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Most students take on federal loans
Best for: Based on the data, University of Sioux Falls is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about University of Sioux Falls

The questions families ask most about University of Sioux Falls, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is University of Sioux Falls hard to get into?
Not especially. University of Sioux Falls admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 82.9%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Sioux Falls?
82.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does University of Sioux Falls cost?
Budget around $21,383 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of Sioux Falls worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $54,521 a year against a net price of $21,383, about 2.5 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is University of Sioux Falls known for?
Mostly Nursing, Business Administration, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do University of Sioux Falls graduates earn?
About $54,521 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is University of Sioux Falls accredited?
Yes. University of Sioux Falls is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend University of Sioux Falls?
1,218 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at University of Sioux Falls?
60% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is University of Sioux Falls a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is University of Sioux Falls located?
University of Sioux Falls is located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
What programs does University of Sioux Falls offer?
42 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Business Administration, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at University of Sioux Falls?
17 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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