The Missouri River and the Nebraska border lie just south of Vermillion, the small town where the University of South Dakota has been since 1862, before statehood. It's the state's flagship liberal arts university and home to South Dakota's only law school and only medical school. The Beacom School of Business, health sciences and the National Music Museum, with its large collection of historic instruments, are other highlights. Tuition is low for a flagship.
Vermillion, South Dakota, United States
Official website: usd.edu
1862
Public flagship university
Sanford School of Medicine and Knudson School of Law
Beacom School of Business (AACSB)
$12,000 – $16,000
International students, full-time, approximate
$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 usd.edu before you apply.
MBA
Masters DegreeDuration
12 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
MS Computer Science
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
BS Health Sciences
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 71
BBA Accounting
Bachelors DegreeDuration
48 Months
Intake
Aug, Jan
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.0, TOEFL: 71
Master of Public Health
Masters DegreeDuration
24 Months
Intake
Aug
Exam Score
IELTS: 6.5, TOEFL: 79
South Dakota's only law and medical schools.
The National Music Museum's instrument collection on campus.
Low tuition in a safe small town.
Business and accounting graduates join banks, insurers and health systems in Sioux Falls.
Health science graduates work at Sanford Health and Avera, the region's big health employers.
STEM graduates can work in the US for up to three years on OPT.
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Rolling
Undergrad
Rolling
Postgrad
Rolling
Vermillion is a small college town on a bluff above the Missouri River, with a short Main Street and most social life on campus. Snow and cold are serious from December to March.
Rent is low. Sioux Falls, the state's largest city, is about an hour north, and Sioux City, Iowa, is around forty minutes away.
Form I-20 issued by University of South Dakota
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
USD reviews international applications on a rolling basis. Apply by about June for fall and November for spring. Some graduate programmes set earlier dates.
Most programmes start in fall (August) or spring (January). Medicine and law start only in the fall.
You'll need an F-1 visa. Once you accept your offer and send proof of funding, University of South Dakota issues the Form I-20. After that it's the SEVIS fee, the DS-160 form and an interview at a US embassy or consulate.
Business, accounting, computer science, health sciences and public health are popular. Undergraduates need secondary school results and IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 71. Graduate programmes need a relevant bachelor's degree and IELTS 6.5.
USD offers merit scholarships to international undergraduates, and graduate assistantships in several departments. Check the international admissions page for current awards.
