Brookings is a small city on the eastern edge of South Dakota, and South Dakota State University takes up a large part of it. Founded in 1881 as the state's land-grant college, it is now South Dakota's largest university. Agriculture, dairy and food science, pharmacy, nursing and engineering are its strengths. On autumn Saturdays, Jackrabbits football fills the stadium.
Brookings, South Dakota, United States
Official website: sdstate.edu
1881
Land-grant public university
South Dakota's largest university
Brookings
$13,000 – $17,000
International students, undergraduate and graduate
$10,000 – $13,000
Rent, food and local transport
Approximate figures for 2026-27, please verify. Fees change every year and vary by course, so check the latest amount on sdstate.edu before you apply.
BS Dairy Manufacturing
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 61
BS Mechanical Engineering
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 61
MS Data Science
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
MS Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
A campus dairy plant that makes its own ice cream and cheese.
Farming and food science from its land-grant roots.
Low costs in a small, safe city.
Agriculture and food graduates join processors, co-ops and agribusiness across the Midwest.
Daktronics, the Brookings-based scoreboard maker, hires engineering students and graduates.
STEM graduates can apply for up to three years of OPT.
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Rolling
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Rolling
The Davis Dairy Plant, McCrory Gardens and the football stadium are all on or beside campus, within walking distance of downtown Brookings.
Brookings is small, cheap and friendly. Winters are long and cold. Sioux Falls, the state's biggest city, is under an hour south on Interstate 29.
Form I-20 issued by South Dakota State University
Proof of funds for one academic year
SEVIS I-901 fee payment receipt
Completed DS-160 online application
US embassy or consulate interview
Passport valid six months beyond stay
SDSU reviews applications on a rolling basis. International applicants should apply by May for fall or October for spring, leaving time for the I-20 and visa interview.
Fall (August) is the main intake, and most programmes also admit in spring (January).
It's the F-1 student visa. Get your I-20 from South Dakota State University first (they need your deposit and bank documents), then pay the SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 and attend the visa interview. Book the interview early in peak season.
Dairy manufacturing, engineering, data science and agricultural engineering are popular. Undergraduates need secondary school results and about IELTS 6.0; graduate programmes need a bachelor's degree and IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 79.
SDSU offers international undergraduate scholarships based on academic results, and many graduate students receive assistantships that cover part of tuition.
