International Tuition & Costs

Undergraduate Scholarships

First-time undergraduate students are eligible to apply for two scholarships that are reduced from our annual tuition fee of $13,299: the Coyote Beginnings Scholarship and the Coyote Beginnings Grant. The Coyote Beginnings Scholarship is automatically awarded to first-time freshman applicants students at the time of admission, with a value of up to $4,000 per year based on high school GPA. The Coyote Beginnings Grant is automatically awarded to first-time freshman who have a qualifying SAT or ACT score. This award is valued between $1,500 to $2,500 per year and may be stacked on top of the Coyote Beginnings Scholarship. Students who receive the high end of both awards would achieve the equivalent of a half-tuition scholarship.

Transfer students who currently study at a US community college or university are eligible to receive the International Transfer Scholarship. Students with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher at a US college or university are automatically awarded $3,000 per year for the remainder of their undergraduate studies at USD. 

To receive full consideration for the above awards, apply to the University of South Dakota by June 1 for fall intakes and October 1 for spring intakes. Applications submitted after these dates will be reviewed for any remaining funds. No separate application is required for these awards — your eligibility will be automatically assessed based on your admissions application.

Graduate Assistantships

The University of South Dakota offers qualified post-baccalaureate students financial assistance in exchange for their teaching, research, and service efforts to the university. Assistantships come with a significant tuition reduction plus a semester stipend. Please note that all graduate assistantships are awarded by individual academic departments - not the Gallagher International Center - and are the sole source of scholarships/funding available for graduate students. Assistantships are highly competitive and very difficult to secure, which is why we encourage applicants to compare our already-low tuition to our peer institutions. Often, USD is still more affordable than our peer institutions after scholarships and funding offers from those institutions. For more information on the application process, visit our Graduate School's website below.

Read more about Graduate Assistantships

Additional Information

• Living expenses vary depending on choice of living accommodations and/or meal plans. For a breakdown of the various housing and meal plan types, visit Housing and Dining Costs.
• Students enrolled in select disciplines are subject to additional fees, which are accounted for in “Other” as detailed above.
• Law, occupational therapy, and physical therapy graduate programs have higher tuition than what is listed above.
• Tuition, fees, and livings costs may increase by a few percent each year based on decisions made by the Board of Regents.
• If bringing dependents, add $4,500 each for food and medical insurance.
• International students on F-1 or J-1 visas are not eligible for United States federal financial aid, including federal work study.