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Freshman Admission Requirements

Drone shot of USD's campus looking at Old Main, Slagle Hall and the Dakota Dome.

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Admission Requirements

To be considered for freshman admission to the University of South Dakota, you should meet the following admission requirements:
General Requirements
  • Achieve an ACT composite score of 21 or above (SAT 1070)
    OR
  • Earn a grade point average of at least 2.6 (4.0 scale) in all high school courses
    OR
  • Rank in the upper 50% of your high school graduating class
    OR
  • Achieve a 3 or higher on the English Language Arts and Mathematics Smarter Balanced Assessments
High School Coursework Requirements

Students should complete the following listed core classes with a "C" average or better.

  • 4 years of English
    OR ACT English sub-test score of 21 or above OR AP English score of 3 or above

  • 3 years of Advanced Mathematics
    OR ACT Math sub-test score of 23 or above OR AP Calculus score of 3 or above

  • 3 years of Laboratory Science
    OR ACT Science Reasoning sub-test score of 20 or above OR AP Science score of 3 or above

  • 3 years of Social Science
    OR ACT Social Studies/Reading sub-test score of 20 or above OR AP Social Studies score of 3 or above

  • 1 year Fine Arts for students graduating from South Dakota high schools
    OR AP Fine Arts score of 3 or above

Application Procedure

To complete your application, submit the following materials to the Office of Admissions:

Application
US $20 Application Fee
Official High School Transcripts
  • Official high school transcript sent directly to USD.
  • To be eligible to receive Title IV federal financial aid, the regulations require that institutions admit, as regularly enrolled students, persons who have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent (GED).
Test Scores
  • Official ACT or SAT scores sent to USD directly from the testing agency
    (USD's ACT test code is 3928. USD's SAT test code is 6881)

Mailing Address

Please submit your application online or have your materials sent to the following address:

    Office of Undergraduate Admissions
    University of South Dakota
    414 East Clark Street
    Vermillion, SD 57069-2390

    Telephone: 1-877-COYOTES Fax: 605-677-6323

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