South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University is located in Brookings, South Dakota. They offer a traditional BSN program, an accelerated BSN program and an online RN to BSN program.  They also offer LPN and RN refresher courses for those nurses who have been out of practice and need to brush up on their skills.

South Dakota State University College of Nursing is one of the most prominent nursing schools in South Dakota. The school proudly states 90% job placement rates and NCLEX-RN pass rates. In addition to that, South Dakota State University is also generous when it comes to educational funding and scholarships; the College of Nursing alone provided a scholarship of more than $400,000 in the year 2020-2021 for more than 200 students.

In South Dakota State University College of Nursing, students actively take part in multiple research activities that are aimed towards impacting and changing the local and global healthcare scenario. The expert faculty at the College of Nursing is committed to providing firsthand knowledge based on experience and research. Similarly, the students also get to practice in the high-fidelity simulation labs, equipped with the latest technology that provides a realistic learning environment. In addition to the outstanding academic opportunities, South Dakota State University also offers 240+ unique student organizations, daily campus events, community outreach, innovative research, as well as Division I athletics to help students find their individuality and develop leadership skills.

Undergraduate Programs: The Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at the South Dakota State University College of Nursing is aimed towards providing a strong academic and clinical foundation for entry into the nursing profession. Students can choose to enroll in the Standard four years BSN course, or the one-year Accelerated BSN course, or working RNs without a bachelor’s degree can get into the RN-to-BSN course to advance their career.

Graduate Programs: The university also offers an outstanding MSN course that offer fall admission and flexible scheduling that allows students to finish the course in three to four and one half years. There are both online and in-person courses available. The online courses include Nurse Administrator, Clinical Nurse Leader, and Nurse Educator. Similarly, the in-person courses include Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.

Similarly, the DNP program at South Dakota State University College of Nursing aims to prepare Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who can transform clinical practice as expert clinicians and leaders with a special focus on rural and underserved populations. There are two pathways to the DNP course; the Bachelor’s to DNP and the Master’s to DNP pathway.

Furthermore, the university offers a Ph.D. in Nursing course that prepares nurse scientists who can assume roles as healthcare researchers, faculty, and healthcare administrations. This course also offers a Master’s to Ph.D. and a Bachelor’s to Ph.D. pathways.

Last but not the least, South Dakota State University College of Nursing encourages students with a master’s degree or a doctorate degree in nursing to obtain further education in the Postgraduate Certificates courses.

The nursing school at South Dakota State University is a public institution located in Brookings, South Dakota. Its nursing programs are accredited by ACEN, ACME, CCNE and COA.

Degree types you can earn at South Dakota State University include CNL, Family Nurse Practitioner, Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner, Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Registered Nursing, and the school provides its offerings to students via campus, hybrid and online formats. The level of nursing programs offered to nursing students include Accelerated BSN, APRN Certificate, Bachelor Degree, BSN to DNP, Doctor of Nursing, Master Degree, MSN to DNP, Ph.D. and Post Master's NP Certificate level degrees.

For nursing students in South Dakota, the state average NCLEX-RN passing rate for ADN programs is 47.40% and for BSN programs is 55.85%. The average national NCLEX-RN passing rate for ADN programs is N/A% and for BSN programs is N/A%.

Out of 13 nursing schools in South Dakota, the nursing program at South Dakota State University ranks #3 in the state, and out of more than 1,700 nursing programs nationally, it ranks #134. It's 3-year average NCLEX-RN passing rate is 65.00%, giving the South Dakota State University an overall grade of D.

Nursing Program Stats at a Glance for South Dakota State University

• Grade: D
• NCLEX-RN Passing Rate Average: 65.00%
• South Dakota State Rank: 3
• National Rank: 134

Best Online Nursing Programs for South Dakota Students

In-state nursing schools are preferable to out-of-state programs as your tuition and logistics for attending school will be considerably less than if you attended school out-of-state. Online nursing schools are also an option.

Compare South Dakota Nursing School Rankings