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Awards and Rankings

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.
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2026 Best Colleges

SDSU named to U.S. News and World Report’s 2026 Best Colleges.

  • Ranked No. 145 in Top Public Schools
  • Ranked No. 257 in National Universities, highest ranked in South Dakota
  • Ranked No. 98 in Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Programs
  • Ranked No. 176 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
  • Ranked No. 240 in Best Undergraduate Economics Programs
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SDSU named 2024 safest large college campus in South Dakota

South Dakota State University again tops the list for safest large college campus in South Dakota, according to a new report by SafeHome.org.
View of SDSU Campus.
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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Forbes 2024-2025 America’s Top Colleges

SDSU named to Forbes 2024-2025 America’s Top Colleges, highest ranked university in South Dakota
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2026 Best Graduate Schools

SDSU named to U.S. News and World Report’s 2026 Best Graduate Schools.

  • Ranked No. 44 in Pharmacy
  • Ranked No. 64 in Rehabilitation Counseling
  • Ranked No. 96 in Statistics
  • Ranked No. 115 in Sociology
  • Ranked No. 186 in Mathematics
  • Ranked No. 192 in Chemistry
  • Ranked No. 286 in Biological Sciences
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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 1st 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
Best Online Master's Programs

Most Affordable

Best Online Bachelor's
Research Rankings
SCIMAGO Institutions Rankings
How SDState Ranks:
  • Top 34% of all research institutions
  • Top 25 institution for energy research
  • 63rd ranked for veterinary research
  • Top ranked research institution in the Dakotas
SCIMAGO Rankings
Research.com Rankings
How SDState Ranks:
  • #49 for plant science research
  • #29 for animal science research
  • Most research expenditures of all South Dakota institutions
Research.com 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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